Dallas police officer Robert Powell, who was transferred to dispatch as an investigation occurred regarding his treatment of Texans running back Ryan Moats and Moats’ family members, has resigned his job. “With a heavy heart and great sadness, I resigned from the Dallas Police Department this morning,” Powell said in a statement. “I made this decision in the hope that my resignation will allow the Dallas Police Department, my fellow officers, and the citizens of Dallas to better reflect on this experience, learn from the mistakes made, and move forward. “I still hope to speak with the Moats family to personally express my deep regret, sympathy, and to apologize for my poor judgment and unprofessional conduct. I also want to apologize to my fellow officers. I have sincere respect and admiration for the men and women of the Dallas Police Department and the work they perform daily, and I wish them well.”
Moats’ wife told a local NBC affiliate that she was surprised to learn that Powell had resigned. The March 18 incident, during which Powell kept Moats from entering the hospital where his mother-in-law lay dying, drew extensive media coverage and generated intense criticism. The mere fact that Powell acted that way knowing the behavior was being preserved by a dashboard camera and microphone gave us serious concerns about whether he “gets it.” It’s also possible that Powell resigned under threat of termination, along with an offer that certain severance benefits that might not have been available if he had been fired “for cause.” Employers commonly give employees who would otherwise be fired a chance to resign; if nothing else, it’s easier to find a new job when a person wasn’t fired from his last one.