A recent interview with the Gulfport Florida bus driver, John Moody, reveals he just didn’t want to intervene.
Moody reportedly retired after the school district launched an internal
investigation. The case was turned over to the state attorney’s office, but
prosecutors said Thursday Moody’s actions didn’t rise to the level of child
neglect. (link)
Unlike the previously released bus footage, the race of the driver appears to play a larger role than initially evidenced. The local police asked the District Attorney to file negligence charges against Mr. Moody. The DA chose not to pursue charges.
Watch the video and you’ll see the issue:
What is really at play here, in addition to the 15-year-old thugs who beat the 13-year-old white boy, is *why* the bus driver did not engage to assist. One can only imagine how the BGI and NAACP would approach the issue if the driver were white, the thugs white, and the younger victim black.
In this case, according to the Sharpton, Jackson and Jealous contingent, this beatdown could not be considered racist because the victim was white. And all media efforts are desperate now, framed to protect the bus driver from any consequences to his lack of action.
FLORIDA – Gulfport police recently released surveillance video from a school bus that shows the bus driver’s perspective of a beating earlier this month.
In the video from July 9th, the victim is sitting in the second seat of the Pinellas school bus with his head down. The violence starts as soon as he stands-up to get off the bus.
Joshua Reddin, Julian McKnight, Lloyd Khemradj, all-15-years old
The bus driver, John Moody, can be heard yelling for somebody to try to stop them and calls dispatch for help, “I got a fight. I need help in a hurry, I got a fight I need help in a hurry.”
The punches and kicks continue, and the victim falls between the seats. At one point you can hear his screams on the video. The bus driver yells at the attackers, “leave that boy alone,” but doesn’t try to intervene physically.
Then he again calls dispatch to verify the address. “Get somebody out here quick, quick quick they’re about to beat this boy to death. There’s nothing I can do…please send somebody,” said Moody.
According to Pinellas school bus driver policy the driver’s first duty is to call dispatch, and only has to step in if they think it’s safe. They’re not required to intervene.
Gulfport Police Chief Robert Vincent has publicly questioned the driver’s lack of action even after the offending teens had left the bus. “There was time for him to intervene and or check on the welfare of the child in this case. He didn’t make any effort to do so and that’s what we want to bring to the attention of the prosecutor,” said Chief Vincent. (read more)
