Emily Longnecker/Eyewitness News
Lawrence - A video of a police officer stunt riding on his police motorcycle has a councilman calling for his suspension.
The video, obtained only by Eyewitness News, shows Lawrence Police Officer Tracy Cantrell standing on his motorcycle seat while riding in traffic.
"I'm not convinced he was on the seat. Now, was it the right place at the right time? No," said Lawrence Police Chief Paul Whitehead.
Chief Whitehead says the department is still investigating, but believes Officer Cantrell was standing on the floorboards on the sides of the bike, with his arms outstretched, but not directly on the motorcycle seat.
"There's a difference in appearance in standing on a seat and there's a difference in height over the handlebars. He's a tall gentleman," said Whitehead, explaining why he believes Cantrell was standing on the bike's floor boards.
Either way, though, the chief says the officer's actions were wrong.
"This is not a walk away scenario. The officer is, as we have said, is very contrite. He knows, regardless of floorboard or whatever it was, he knows that it was the wrong time and the wrong place," said Whitehead.
"If it was me and I was pulled over for pulling a stunt like that, I would have been ticketed on reckless driving," countered Lawrence Councilman David Parnell.
Parnell says the video doesn't lie and he doesn't buy the floorboard defense.
"Come on. Face the music guys. He was on his bike. Standing up and he's got what's coming to him, you know?" said Parnell. "I think they should take him off the motorcycle team."
"I don't know if council people, actually, other than having their own opinion, should try and dictate to the police department at this point in time, until they know all the facts," said Lawrence Mayor Paul Ricketts.
R.J. Smith, the man who took the video, was out of town on business Monday night, but told Eyewitness News by phone there's no doubt in his mind Officer Cantrell was standing on his seat, not just on 56th Street, but on Pendleton Pike when Smith first dialed 911.
"When I took the video, the officer was on 56th Street and I am very sure that he was on the seat of the motorcycle," Smith said.
But right now, Lawrence police officials say Officer Cantrell is still on traffic duty, behind the wheel of a police car.
Video shows a Lawrence police officer stunt riding on his motorcycle.
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