user: Input: Brisbane commuter puts his foot down to protect fellow bus passengers
A Brisbane man was forced to take the safety of his fellow bus passengers into his own hands this morning after noticing an unsecured manhole on the floor of the vehicle.

Richard William noticed the manhole plate wasn't properly fastened when he boarded the 577 bus in Springfield before 7.30am.

"When I hopped on the bus I stepped on the plate and it slid into place," Mr William told nine.com.au.

"When I sat down, I noticed a breeze and there were no windows open, so I looked down and the floor plate was floating."

Worried about the safety of other commuters, Mr William started filming and posted his video to south east Queensland public transport agency TransLink's Facebook page.

"It was a fairly full bus. All the seats were taken, but there was no one standing," Mr William said.

"I had to put my foot on the plate until we got into the city."

Mr William was advised by Translink over Facebook to let the driver know about the safety risk as he was disembarking from the bus.

"When I told the driver, there was still probably five or six people on the bus," he said.

"I showed the driver the video and was so shocked that she was going to keep driving that I forgot to touch off."

"I'm surprised she continued the bus trip without immediately calling maintenance."

A Translink spokesperson confirmed to nine.com.au that the driver reported the issue to the depot immediately after it was initially reported.

"The bus driver completed the trip so that customers could reach their destination."

"They fixed it straight away and the bus was back on the road this afternoon."

"We've spoken to the operator and the manhole has been locked again."

It is believed the manhole was not properly locked after recent maintenance work on the bus.

Translink were unable to confirm how long the manhole had been exposed for.

© Nine Digital Pty Ltd 2016
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It's about: A Brisbane man was forced to take the safety of his fellow bus passengers into his own hands this morning after noticing an unsecured&nbsp;manhole on the floor of the vehicle.


Input: SEE IT: Police officer seen pepper-spraying motorcyclists
Tuesday, March 15, 2016, 7:27 AM

A police officer in Texas was caught on video pepper-spraying a group of passing motorcyclists.

Video of the incident — which has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times after being posted online — was recorded Sunday along U.S. 287 in Fort Worth.

The officer is seen standing along the highway shoulder, spraying as the bikers pass him.

NYPD HOPES MORE POTENT PEPPER SPRAY WILL LEAD TO FEWER POLICE SHOOTINGS

The police department confirmed to CBS Radio station KRLD that it is investigating the footage. The officer, identified as W. Figueroa, a six-year veteran, was removed from uniformed patrol duties, police said.

Motorcyclist Chase Stone, who recorded the footage, said he was shocked to see the officer's actions.

"The officer kinda overstepped his boundaries of the law," Stone told KRLD. "If a bystander had done that, sprayed at people riding 55 in the road, I mean. I kinda want to see it treated like that."
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It's about: The officer was removed from uniformed patrol duties after video emerged online.


Input: 'It's a police thing' -- nearby cops move in, give Newtown officers Christmas off
updated 7:45 AM EST, Tue December 25, 2012

Newtown, Connecticut, first responders received an emotional standing ovation at a vigil for the school shooting victims on December 16.

(CNN) -- From around the world, condolences and offers of support have washed tragedy-ravaged Newtown, Connecticut, with wave after wave of sympathy from people trying somehow, some way, to reach out, to help, to comfort.

On Christmas Day, thanks to a grassroots effort by their fellow law enforcement brethren in nearby communities, Newtown's police officers will be the recipients of a rare gift in their profession -- a holiday off, for the entire force.

"Patrol officers and sworn personnel will be given the day off to be home on Christmas. Officers from surrounding towns will be patrolling Newtown," police Sgt. Steve Santucci of Newtown told CNN.

Newtown police have been working nonstop since the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14. The school shooting claimed the lives of 20 children and six faculty members, leaving a close-knit community -- and its police force -- still reeling 10 days later.

"When something like this happens ... it's a police thing. We'll always try to help out neighboring towns. Any time there's a tragedy, we'll try our best to lend a helping hand," said Lt. Bob Kozlowsky of the Shelton, Connecticut, police department.

Kozlowsky's department is among those that have helped in the Newtown force in the days since the shooting -- days with a seemingly endless procession of funerals, with families trying to bear up under unbearable mountains of grief. Days with police work still to be done.

"We've sent officers, dispatchers, and even our chief of police has gone to Newtown to help out. We've helped with dispatching, traffic, miscellaneous calls. Our chief of police has gone to assist their chief of police with administrative duties."

Amid a world elsewhere of holiday festivities but with one community in Connecticut lost in shock and mourning, officers from towns with names such as Monroe, Brookfield, Danbury, Bethel and Milford have given Newtown the gift of their time and their work.

On Christmas Day, those neighborly officers will take to the streets of Newtown again. For a time, for a day, it can be Christmas for the officers of Newtown and their families.

"It's important to help out," said Officer Jeffrey Nielsen of the Milford police department. "We'll continue to provide help as long as they need it."

CNN's Laura Ly in New York contributed to this report.

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assistant: Police in Newtown, Connecticut, can be home with their families on Christmas Day, as officers from neighboring towns will be on patrol.