SPRINGFIELD, OR — A local woman was issued a citation for texting and driving Tuesday afternoon by a police officer who, according to witnesses, was simultaneously operating five separate electronic screens and finalizing a Taco Bell order with extra fire sauce.
The driver, 32-year-old Sarah Manning, said she had just glanced at a text from her husband asking about dinner when he noticed flashing lights in his rearview mirror. “I pulled over immediately,” Manning recalled. “I assumed it was for something serious, like speeding or maybe a tail light out. But no—apparently glancing at your phone is a cardinal sin while Officer Combo Meal is scrolling through Crunchwrap options at 45 miles per hour.”
The officer, whose name has not been released, reportedly initiated the stop while inputting a lunch order into the Taco Bell mobile app, responding to dispatch on the mobile data terminal (MDT), adjusting the in-car radar system, checking body cam status, and toggling the light controls—all from the comfort of his high-tech cockpit, also known as a police cruiser.
Bystanders were quick to note the irony. “The dude had more screens than a NASA launch room,” said one witness. “At one point, I swear I saw him swipe to add cinnamon twists.”
When asked for comment, a department spokesperson defended the officer’s actions. “Our officers are trained to multitask in dynamic environments,” the spokesperson said. “Yes, he may have been placing a lunch order, but he was also protecting and serving—specifically, protecting the streets and serving himself a Beefy Melt Burrito.”
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Critics argue that the situation highlights a growing double standard in distracted driving enforcement. “If the officer’s car looks like a Best Buy display wall and he’s navigating burrito add-ons mid-shift, maybe we need to reexamine who’s really distracted here,” said local civil liberties advocate Jenica Ruiz.
Manning, who plans to fight the $265 ticket in court, has already started a petition calling for equal enforcement of distracted driving laws. The petition, titled ‘Hold the Guac, Hold the Hypocrisy’, has gathered over 4,000 signatures.
Meanwhile, Officer Combo Meal was reportedly last seen circling back to Taco Bell after DoorDash dropped his order at the wrong precinct.
