Last night Dennis Quaid was leaving a restaurant with his wife and a friend when he got behind the wheel of his SUV and started to drive. Just at that moment a police car pulled alongside Quaid and told Dennis not to drive. Dennis who sounded and looked drunk said, "I don't want to drive. What do you want me to do?"
The police just said don't drive. Dennis then asked permission to go back in the restaurant. The cops said yes and they went back in and emerged later when a cab arrived. A couple of things here. If the police had not come along then you know Dennis would have driven home. Maybe we would be talking about his death right now instead of this story. Maybe we would be talking about someone else who died. Dennis is a grown man with infants and he shouldn't need to be reminded by police to get a cab especially with his wife and a friend in the same car.
The other question I have is whether the police would have done this for an everyday person or if this kind of treatment is reserved for celebrities surrounded by paparazzi. I would like to think they would do it for everyone, but I get the feeling if this had been one of us you would be reading this after spending the night in a jail cell.
You can watch the video of the incident here at TMZ.
Yes, the police would have done this for a regular person in the same circumstance. BECAUSE HE DIDN'T DRIVE. You can't arrest anyone -- celebrity or non-celebrity -- for attempted drunk driving.
ReplyDelete"Celebrity treatment" would be if he had ignored the cops and driven away, and they didn't follow and arrest him for DUI. That wouldn't happen with a normal person.
This situation? Absolutely the same outcome, regardless of who it is.
I don't know, DaveR. I feel like if Quaid were your average guy, the police would have waited until he drove away and THEN pulled him over. I'm not sure everyday people get preemptive warnings from LAPD before they start driving. That was never my experience, anyway.
ReplyDeletehmm DaveR, I could be totally wrong but I have heard of people getting a DUI sitting behind the wheel of their car not driving but 'sleeping it off' They had no intention of driving but because the cops could not prove that, they got a DUI.
ReplyDeleteCould be a made up story, but that is what I have heard from a few people.
Actually, something very similar happened to me. The difference is I was actually driving (I know, I know, but I was young and immature) and he just told me to park the car and call a friend...
ReplyDeleteThe LAPD? Are you kidding me? I've seen them frisk people for stepping off the curb, and that's no exaggeration. They are ridiculous and it is my belief that if half of them weren't cops, they'd be criminals.
ReplyDeleteThat was a very nice turn by the cop...maybe he's just used to seeing it. One would hope anyone would do that, because who wants to witness a drunk driver and then have to hear about/deal with any resulting carnage?
ReplyDeleteAlso, what responsibility do the passengers have, though? Were they as drunk or drunker? WHY would you get into a car with this guy at the wheel?!
but Kimmypie is right, the intention to drive drunk is reason enough to get you arrested for a DUI. A friend got arrested because the keys were in the ignition while he was sleeping it off...
ReplyDeleteI know a couple of people who were warned by the police not to drive drunk and made sure they called someone to pick them up. So it does happen to the "little guys" out there.
ReplyDeleteWhat I want to know is why he and his wife are drinking so much when they have children at home? I know their twins are small and I figure they have a nanny, but what about Dennis's older son Jack? Doesn't he want to be a good role model for him?
And what about just being a responsible adult? I thought Dennis was the saner of the two Quaid brothers, but now I'm not so sure.
No they would not. Don't even get me started. Fuck the poh-leese. Don't get me wrong - I'm not condoning drunk driving - I've just been fucked over by the police before, and I don't plan on forgiving or forgetting anytime soon.
ReplyDeleteI guess it all depends on what mood the cop is whether or not you get ticket.
ReplyDeleteI know it's different here in the UK, but he would have been charged with being drunk in charge of a motor vehicle. Just being in the driving seat is enough. George Michael was been charged after falling asleep in his parked car. The intent to drink-drive is enough.
ReplyDeleteThis is truly crime prevention. I think if Dennis had acted belligerently, the cop might not have been so forgiving.
ReplyDeleteI don't know about CA laws, but in AZ where I live, you can get arrested for DUI if you are in your car and the keys are within grasp. (Defense attorneys are fighting this.)
Many cops will let someone go if they appear to be just over the line. (This happened to me. They let me call my brother-in-law to get me.)
Well, kudos (kadooz?) to whatever restaurant employee called the cops, because I get the feeling that's what happened.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe his wife and passenger let him attempt to drive. I will not get in a car with a driver who is tipsy, let alone drunk unless they let me drive.
ReplyDeleteidk...lapd is so bipolar. one minute they're using excessive force, the next minute they're letting people get away with a slap on the wrist.
ReplyDeleteI don't know.. My friend was arrested for trying to sleep it off in his parked car a few months ago.
ReplyDeleteI knew of someone who got a dui even though he was sleeping it off in the backseat because the keys were in the ignition.
ReplyDeleteDepends on the cops and the town. I live in place where a friend left his car and was walking home and was not so drunk where he'd hurt himself,others or be obnoxious and the police gave him a breathilizer(?sp). He was a block from home and 4 from the bar. He got arrested for being drunk in public.
ReplyDeleteWhere I live (SoCal), if you're even "thinking" about getting behind the wheel the cops will drag your ass in so fast.
ReplyDeleteAll three of them are idiots. Didn't they pick someone from their group to be the designated driver before they started dinner and drinks? It's not that hard to do. Idiots.
ReplyDeleteokay, were all of these FOOLS drunk? if not, why let this idiot drive.
ReplyDeleteif he did NOT cooperate, he should have been arrested. otherwise, police resources and their presence could more than likely be used elsewhere.
lol - Quaid is a dead ringer for Alan Rickman here!
ReplyDeleteNunaurbiz (hey fellow Arizonan!), AZ drunk driving laws are some of the strictest in the country. And for good reason - we used to have one of the highest drunk driving fatality rates in the country. That has dropped significantly since the stricter laws have been passed.
ReplyDeleteCalifornia's laws are quite different from ours: read not as strict. For example, when Paris Hilton went to jail in CA it was NOT for drunk driving but for driving with a suspended license. Her license had been suspended due to a previous DUI. In AZ, on your first DUI offense you are going to Tent City for AT LEAST the weekend, probably longer depending on the severity, your license is suspended and in some cases you get one of those things you have to blow into before you start the car. Much different repercussions.
My mom (who was not Dennis Quaid but who was an alcoholic) used to drive drunk all the time. The police would often wave her over and tell her to go home. It happens to everyone -- especially if they have other people in the car.
ReplyDeleteEach state is different. In Oregon, you actually have to be operating the vehicle. In other states, like Washington, you just need to have control over the vehicle (meaning a way to start it or get it moving). Some states (is it North Carolina, I believe??) you can get a DUII for letting someone you ought to know is under the influence drive your car (you are a passenger and they are intoxicated).
ReplyDeleteAnyway, here in Oregon, most cops wouldn't risk screwing up a DUII stop. They'd just get you out of your car and send you on your way.
Any regular Joe would still be waiting for his/her bail to process.
ReplyDeleteOdd story: when I was in graduate school, a kid got arrested for driving his friend to the hospital drunk. The kid was drunk, but the friend had been SHOT. Drunk kid got popped for a DUI. However, the district attorney dropped the charges (even he couldn't believe he dropped them) because the friend would have bled to death without the immediate medical attention.
This is the only time I would EVER defend someone for a DUI (and the kid got shot like 2 miles from the hospital).
I think it could have gone either way for DQ. I think it really depends on the cop. Some are cool and some are frustrated bastards. Just like everyone else, right?
ReplyDeletehe got celebrity treatment pure and simple
ReplyDelete@Kara - I had the WORST fucking experience being pulled over for a DUI in Oregon - Seaside, to be specific. Cops in that state get no love from me any more. US$1500 later and it went away, but they tried their hardest. ASsholes.
ReplyDelete