Officer from Moats incident has new job

STRATFORD, Texas, Sept. 24 (UPI) -- Texas police officer Robert Powell has gotten a new job after being fired for stopping NFL player Ryan Moats from seeing his mother-in-law before she died.

Stratford Police Chief Winston Dennis said while the former Dallas police officer made a mistake by stopping Moats as the Houston Texans player was racing to visit his dying mother-in-law, Powell deserved a second chance, WFAA-TV of Dallas/Fort Worth reported Thursday.

"Officer Powell made a mistake," Dennis said of the March incident. "We all agree it could have been handled differently. But was it a bad enough mistake to say he should never be a cop again? And I think the answer's no."

Moats was rushing to the hospital in early March when Powell stopped him in the hospital parking lot. The officer prevented the running back from entering the hospital in time to meet with his mother-in-law before her death despite pleas from the NFL player, his wife and nurses.

WFAA said the incident ultimately led to Powell's resignation from the Dallas police force in April following an apology for the officer's actions from Dallas Police Chief David Kunkle.