I would have blamed him. Unjustified "stick time" is unjustified, period. Once the threat is no longer a threat, the force stops, no matter what. "Getting your licks in" is NEVER a valid option for a peace officer. I think the Trooper did the right thing: he was mad, he KNEW he was mad, he KNEW he had to "take it out on something," so he flung his hat. Unprofessional, to be sure, but FAR more professional than applying a hickory shampoo as a matter of personal vengeance.DEB wrote:Not wanting to change the subject, but this reminds me of when I ran a Virginia State Trooper off the road. I moved into the left lane and for him to miss me he went into the ditch, dust went flying and he come out of that ditch with his lights on. I had already pulled over, knowing that this could be my last day on earth for sure. He pulled in behind me, walked to my pickup, and walked away, walked back to me and walked away, this time he threw his hat like a frisbee into the ditch. He went to the ditch, retrieved his hat, walked up to my window and very tersely asked for my license and registration. I handed them over and he asked if I knew what I had done and I replied in the affirmative with a bit of sorrow and regret, telling him that I sure was sorry. I guess he had got so mad, that once he cooled down, he was burnt out. He gave me a warning and sent me on my way, after we had talked a bit about my unit in the Military. I drove off thanking my lucky stars he didn't apply some stick time to me. I wouldn't have blamed him, LOL.
One thing we all have to remember, with regards to the OP, is that cops are people too, and road rage just like anyone else. Possessing a badge, even a valid one, is no indicator that the person is thinking clearly when they're spun up and feeling personally slighted. The OP did the right thing in finding a safe place to pull over AND dialing 911. He had no idea what was going through that ISD cop's head, nor what actions rational or otherwise that person was capable of in his state. Not only did calling 911 help settle the "is this a real cop?" question, but it also brought witnesses, themselves with badges, to the scene.
Personally, I would call the badge-flashing an abuse of authority, based on an accident my family and I were in last year. We got rear-ended by an 18-wheeler hard enough that it totalled and flipped our truck and trailer. I never waved my badge, as it was not pertinent to the situation, and the only person who saw it was the state trooper who took charge of the accident scene / investigation.
In short, that badge and the authority that accompanies it should only come out if and only if the situation falls in line with your official duties. If you have personal involvement in the situation, whether victim or at-fault party, call another badge to come over and take charge. Never try to use your authority in the heat of the moment when you're personally involved.