Deseret News | Reader comments: Trolley hero quits force

Reader comments
Trolley hero quits force

sad | 10:10 a.m. Jan. 12, 2009

Hammond is still a hero, but he needs to face the music for what he did wrong. Had he not been at Trolley Square many more people would have died and for that he is a hero. Unfortunately, if he is found guilty he does still need to be held accountable for those crimes. No one should have their rights violated.

ditto | 10:28 a.m. Jan. 12, 2009

Sad, sad, sad. He is still a hero.

Re: ditto | 11:44 a.m. Jan. 12, 2009

True, but don't forget: the only thing people like more than a hero is to see a hero fall.

Comments continue below

Never Happy to see Heros Fall | 11:58 a.m. Jan. 12, 2009

Humans are complex creatures capable of many things-good and bad. Ken Hammond is no exception although his strengths and weaknesses may go to extremes many of us will never experience. We all have our strengths and our weaknesses. What Officer Hammond did that evening at Trolley Square stands on its own heroic merits. What he is alleged to have done in these other instances will stand on there own as well.

Did He Do It? | 12:02 p.m. Jan. 12, 2009

Yes, it is sad. It is sad for Ogden City, and the rest of us in the State of Utah. He was tried in the media. He has never, to this point, been given his day in court. If the allegations are true, good-bye loser! If they are not true, shame on all who did not let this officer have his day in court. I wonder if the "Drunk" lady even knew if she was wearing pants. As far as violating the rights of someone arrested for DUI, how about those of us that occupy the streets while you are driving drunk? Don't we have rights? You violate our rights. Next time you want to drink and drive, do us ALL a favor and drive off a cliff.

Go Hero... | 12:00 p.m. Jan. 12, 2009

Remember, "innocent until proven guilty" there are a lot of very flaky people out there that will do anything to accuse and try to sue for some free dollars from the police departments.
Ken does not deserve this baloney.

Very Sad | 12:23 p.m. Jan. 12, 2009

Hammond is a hero for saving life's that could have been statistics by now! Cops have so much stress every minute they are on duty. I hope after his day in Court he is found innocent, IF he is innocent. If guilty, I feel bad for his wife and family! Nevertheless, I'm pretty sure people will ALWAYS be greatful he got involved at Trolley Square.

thank | 12:24 p.m. Jan. 12, 2009

Innocent until proven other wise......To the big media, put the DUI people in the news the night of the DUI so we can see them as they are. Media tells us all about the DUI people life so we can understand their side. WE know you would be their life are a joke.

No Due Process | 12:42 p.m. Jan. 12, 2009

Ogden PD should have waited until this case had played out. Officer Hammond could be innocent. He should have at least been given the presumption of innocence by those with whom he worked. Isn't that how our justice system works.

Guilty or Innocent, nothing will detract from the heroism Officer Hammond displayed that fateful night. Human beings are complex creatures.

I wish him well and shame on OPD.

Anonymous | 12:48 p.m. Jan. 12, 2009

the Ogden Police Department and they benefitted from his notoriety of Trolley Square,"

how so and why should this affect anything? Were they supposed to turn their backs on allegations which should be taken seriously? I agree they will stand on their own merit and the truth will come out and Officer Hammond will remain a hero in the Trolley square incident. I wish him all the best.

Proves my point | 1:02 p.m. Jan. 12, 2009

that there is a very thin line between many police officers and criminals. If you rob a bank only one day in a year, you still are a bank robber. The evidence must have been overwhelming in both cases against him.

Bummer | 1:06 p.m. Jan. 12, 2009

O-Town.

Hero? | 1:28 p.m. Jan. 12, 2009

Did anyone else notice that all the people who support Hammond and call him a hero have terrible writing skills? I think the two are linked somehow. Idiots can't see the truth. They're probably the same people who voted for Bush and support the war in Iraq and the troops serving there. Cops and military troops are the same breed: uneducated individuals who are too poor, lazy, and stupid to graduate from college. These are the people we have "protecting" us. What a country we live in.

DJ-GEO | 1:51 p.m. Jan. 12, 2009

THIS OS NOT FAIR THERE SHOUL BE A INVESTION TO FIND EVIDENCE THAT SHOWS HE IS GUILTY

Thanks Ken | 2:39 p.m. Jan. 12, 2009

I was one of the people whose life you saved that night. Whatever your future brings, I and my family will always be grateful you were there and willing to get involved. In that sense, you'll always be a hero,no matter what your future brings...which I hope is happiness and peace.

Good luck, my friend.

Missile Engineer ex-Marine | 4:04 p.m. Jan. 12, 2009

Wow! I had no idea that our military is a bunch of uneducated idiots with no college degrees. You have spoken without really doing your homework. Sounds to me like you are the fool. You have no idea how much knowledge our military really has. This officer is the subject of a poor (college educated) judge who didnï¿½t use his/her best judgment in the case. You have obviously not been subjected to a judge and you have no judicial sense to you whatsoever. The girl is a 16-year-old wife? The article said she was the wife of the man but she was only 16? Perhaps you can give some of your wisdom to her. Just for your information. The military wonï¿½t accept her because she is too undereducated and has already messed up her life. Iï¿½ll be she didnï¿½t even graduate high school.

2 bits | 4:13 p.m. Jan. 12, 2009

In my mind both of these actions are seperate and distinct. I still congratulate him for saving lives at Trolley Square, but I also denounce his behavior in the other incident.

One doesn't wipe-out the other. This just proves we can all be both good-guys and bad-guys, sometimes at the same time.

@Hero? | 1:28 p.m. | 4:20 p.m. Jan. 12, 2009

Hero? | 1:28 p.m.
is the one who sounds like a judgmental idiot to me. Judging people completely by their spelling (I'm a terrible speller but I'm no idiot and I did graduate from college).

And then to pre-judge everyone in the military or law enforcement as, "the same breed: uneducated individuals who are too poor, lazy, and stupid to graduate from college".

Then he goes off on his, "They're probably the same people who voted for Bush and support the war in Iraq and the troops serving there"???

What a jerk! Is it any suprise why people hate liberals like this?

Re: Hero? | 4:33 p.m. Jan. 12, 2009

Your writing skills were not perfect. You neglected two needed commas. Concerning the country we live in, yes these people even protect arrogrant and cynical people like you. I think our military and police generally are hero quality people.

The condemner | 5:15 p.m. Jan. 12, 2009

RE: 4:33 PM

Many people make poor grammar mistakes on blogs. However, if it bothers someone so very much then perhaps they ought to go take up a teaching class and skip blog reading all together. It's pretty lame to point out the faults of others on a blog. I mean really... who cares?

It's too bad that this officer has turned out not to be such a hero after all.

Re: Did he do it? | 5:30 p.m. Jan. 12, 2009

your comments are lame and incoherent. You never answer your own question, which is pretty lame. Ogden city made the right move Hammond is a hot head and it is good to see him go. Whenever you start throwing around sex and juvenile in the same sentence, trouble. If I was Ogden PD I would get as far away as possible.

Atypical as his behavior is it is sad the number of cops who act like this. Too bad for the rest who are excellent policemen, drags down their rep.

Down with Hammond:)

rvalens2 | 6:31 p.m. Jan. 12, 2009

Although spelling and grammar problems run rampant on these blogs, it's considered bad manners to point them out.

After all, everyone makes MISTEAKS. :0)

WITH OUT SPOT | 9:53 p.m. Jan. 12, 2009

Re: rvalens, Amen to that, and I totally agree with you. Thanks :o}

It takes a pretty arrogant person to sit around pointing out grammar mistakes of others on any silly blog. I agree with others--- who really cares. We all make grammar mistakes now and then and that's just life.

It looks like this cop as made a VERY LARGE MISTAKE and will pay the price for not being a good cop.

K | 6:04 a.m. Jan. 13, 2009

I thought this was about the officer, not grammar or spelling. I also didn't know that it was a place to attack each other.

I don't live in Utah, but I am always interested in heroes and what happens to them, especially police officers since my son serves his community as one.

Like all media, the Utah media jumped on the story that will sell them most newspapers etc. The officer is probably not guilty of doing anything but his job. Ogden police department must be full of a bunch of wussy people who are more afraid of losing their job than doing the right thing and standing behind their officer.

Pity that people with power always turn into whiners rather than stand up and support their people.

Beyond that, you guys need to stop letting be all about YOU and start thinking outside the box, literally. Really, it is so immature to squabble about yourselves when the topic isn't about you at all. In short, grow up.

Grammar and DNEWS posts | 8:14 a.m. Jan. 13, 2009

To those of you worrying about grammar.

Seriously.

This is the internet.

It is not a doctoral essay.

Seriously.

And reading into other people's intelligence from a post on the internet...Even a psychologist would have trouble doing that...

Seriously.

Lets just argue about the article. Lets just debate the aspects of other people's arguments.

And keep it professional.

And lets all just drop worrying about grading grammar on the internet. Seriously.

Here is my take:

Give him his trial. Lets judge him then.

SLC gal | 8:17 a.m. Jan. 13, 2009

It's interesting how these allegations just "happen" to show up now. One of these incidents happened in 2005. How come this wasn't brought to light then? I'm sorry but I'm having a hard time combining the man who saved many people that night with the man who would do something so low and rotten. I also belive he's innocent, and shame on everyone for judging him before he's had his day in court.

JC | 8:19 a.m. Jan. 13, 2009

This is a sad day, and a reminder that men are not infallible.

WBM5 | 8:51 a.m. Jan. 13, 2009

I have heard from this man's neighbors that he certainly wasn't a good neighbor or a husband to his first wife. I won't go into details, but it does seem as if he doesn't have very high standards. I wasn't surprised by this after hearing the problems my friend has had with this man.

The Awful Truth | 9:49 a.m. Jan. 13, 2009

The sad truth is that those who are interested in becoming policeman often have abusive personalities. Just talk to the wives of policeman...there is a high incidence of physical abuse. That same tendency to want to control (to make peace through physical control)is sometimes what makes them good officers--they are not afraid to use violence when necessary to secure the peace. I do not know if this officer is guilty as charged. If he is I hope he gets further training and counseling to route out those abusive tendencies so that he can use his talents to protect the public, not abuse it. I still am grateful for his quick thinking and actions that saved so many lives. God help him with his challenges.

Robin | 10:23 a.m. Jan. 13, 2009

Maybe the media will re define HERO. Cheap labeling demeans the word.

Frank | 10:30 a.m. Jan. 13, 2009

You dont have to be a good person to be involved in a heroic deed. Neither does one good act absolve a person of his dirty history. Regardless he is still a hero for his involvment in Trolley Square and lives he definitly saved.

Jay | 10:41 a.m. Jan. 13, 2009

So he is a bit too rough, a little to hard on criminals???? too bad. I want people like this to deal with all of the dirtbags so I don't have to. Why don't we wait until all the facts are in and he is judged in court before we roast him. In the meantime, let these cops do their job!

JT | 10:53 a.m. Jan. 13, 2009

Re: The Awful Truth
Do you have any data to back up your statement that the police are all abusive? That is exactly the same type of judgement the media has cast on Hammond, only yours is directed at all those in law enforcement. I know hundreds of policeman throughout this state and almost all of them are happily married to their first wife, have happy homes, and serve elsewhere in church and community besides law enforcement. The police get all our attention because, lets face it, their job is much more meaningful and interesting than ours. We lack the courage to do what they do, but jump at the chance to second-guess them. Again, give us your resource regarding abusive cops or stop spreading garbage.

viking | 11:09 a.m. Jan. 13, 2009

For your sake, all of you who have jumped to the conclusion that he has committed a crime, I hope you are never accused of a crime. If accusations prove guilt, why have a trial? Think of the Duke University athletes who were accused of a rape that never happened.

Sad | 12:33 a.m. Jan. 14, 2009

I feel bad for Hammond, but the average citizen arrested by a police officer is often guilty without ever having a trail! And many times when they go to court the jury believes the officer over the citizen! I was on a jury where an officer had arrested someone for drug solicitation and we found the person not guilty...the officers in the room where shocked and they wanted to meet with us after to find out why, they could not believe what we had done. Officers are not always right!

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