My Name Is Carol
11-11-2006, 03:06 PM
Arizona sheriff lauds Busch a year after traffic stop
PHOENIX, Ariz. - It was just a little less than a year ago when Kurt Busch mouthed off to a Maricopa County deputy.
Now, if one mouths off to Busch, that person is mouthing off to a "special deputy."
Busch was sworn as a "special deputy" by Sheriff Joe Arpaio, known as one of the toughest sheriffs in the United States.
"It's something that signifies a great deal of change in my life this past year as far as becoming more mature as an adult," Busch said Thursday afternoon. "This means a lot to me as far as the values that it's taught."
On the Friday of the Phoenix race weekend last year, Busch was stopped for speeding and other traffic violations. He argued with the officers and eventually was detained under suspicion for driving under the influence.
He easily passed a breath test but was still ticketed for reckless driving. Busch, who was leaving Roush Racing and sponsor Crown Royal for Penske Racing South and sponsor Miller Lite after the 2005 season, was fired by Roush despite being in the top 10 in points.
Busch pled down to speeding, paid a $580 fine and performed 50 hours of community service, including filming a commercial on safe driving with Arpaio.
"Everybody makes mistakes," Arpaio said. "Nobody is perfect. Sometimes people who make mistakes are angry at the criminal justice system, they're angry at the cops who stopped them.
"Here is a person who has turned 180 degrees around and wants to help. I respect him for that."
Arpaio did reveal he questioned the deputy who stopped Busch and asked him why he wasn't arrested for being belligerent.
"I said [he] should have arrested him," Arpaio said. "Nobody talks back at my deputies and gets away with it, but the deputy used his own judgment and made his own decision.
"But that's the way I felt. You're lucky I didn't stop you."
There are plans for Busch to go on ride-alongs with deputies.
Busch said the whole incident was a life-changing experience.
"It definitely was a learning curve for me for what happened here in Maricopa County," Busch said. "They've got a solid reputation for what they do.
"We've come together and made amends for what happened this past year. ... The sheriff mentioned it was a mistake, but we all need to learn from our mistakes. That's definitely what I've been able to do."
credit: SceneDaily
PHOENIX, Ariz. - It was just a little less than a year ago when Kurt Busch mouthed off to a Maricopa County deputy.
Now, if one mouths off to Busch, that person is mouthing off to a "special deputy."
Busch was sworn as a "special deputy" by Sheriff Joe Arpaio, known as one of the toughest sheriffs in the United States.
"It's something that signifies a great deal of change in my life this past year as far as becoming more mature as an adult," Busch said Thursday afternoon. "This means a lot to me as far as the values that it's taught."
On the Friday of the Phoenix race weekend last year, Busch was stopped for speeding and other traffic violations. He argued with the officers and eventually was detained under suspicion for driving under the influence.
He easily passed a breath test but was still ticketed for reckless driving. Busch, who was leaving Roush Racing and sponsor Crown Royal for Penske Racing South and sponsor Miller Lite after the 2005 season, was fired by Roush despite being in the top 10 in points.
Busch pled down to speeding, paid a $580 fine and performed 50 hours of community service, including filming a commercial on safe driving with Arpaio.
"Everybody makes mistakes," Arpaio said. "Nobody is perfect. Sometimes people who make mistakes are angry at the criminal justice system, they're angry at the cops who stopped them.
"Here is a person who has turned 180 degrees around and wants to help. I respect him for that."
Arpaio did reveal he questioned the deputy who stopped Busch and asked him why he wasn't arrested for being belligerent.
"I said [he] should have arrested him," Arpaio said. "Nobody talks back at my deputies and gets away with it, but the deputy used his own judgment and made his own decision.
"But that's the way I felt. You're lucky I didn't stop you."
There are plans for Busch to go on ride-alongs with deputies.
Busch said the whole incident was a life-changing experience.
"It definitely was a learning curve for me for what happened here in Maricopa County," Busch said. "They've got a solid reputation for what they do.
"We've come together and made amends for what happened this past year. ... The sheriff mentioned it was a mistake, but we all need to learn from our mistakes. That's definitely what I've been able to do."
credit: SceneDaily