Patriots linebacker Elandon Roberts says he was harassed at home by police

robertweathers said:

Pretty simple

Officer sitting drinking coffee sees black male in a Porsche going really fast.
Officer follows him and estimates he is going 59 in a 35.
Officer follows him to the house
Officer is suspicious car is stolen
Officer checks ID and is a bit rude towards Mr and Mrs ER in the process. Possibly nervous that he messed up big time.
Dashcam captures events
Police muckity-mucks review the situation, confirm it's ER and want matter to go away.

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Speculating is really foolhardy and it’s something we see too often today

I don’t know what happened and neither does anyone on Patsfans, so let’s allow it to play out

As I’ve grown older, I now love laws and obeying them. I even come to a complete stop at STOP signs! And I like seeing cops pull people over for not stopping

There is a problem of racial prejudice in the police force, abuse of power, and treating black males in a much different manner than they would a white male. If you don’t believe minorities receive more suspicion then you are plain wrong. As a white dude I’ve been with my minority friend on a few occasions where he was pulled over or stopped on the street and scrutinized in jarring way compared to however I’ve been treated by cops.

My friend made a turn without using his blinker and was borderline interrogated on where he was going, why he was going there and the name of who he was visiting in a rather aggressive tone. All the while my friend was being polite and compliant. I would have been shaken if a cop talked to me that way for a routine traffic violation. I’m sure the same type of thing happened to ER.

Those are just the facts. Im all for body cams as should everyone else.

Kdo5 said:

There is a problem of racial prejudice in the police force, abuse of power, and treating black males in a much different manner than they would a white male.

Those are just the facts. Im all for body cams as should everyone else.

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I'm absolutely all for body cams being a requirement. They will also save officers that have been wrongly accused, which we've seen plenty of examples of as well. It's a win-win. The bad cops get busted, the good cops get protected.

KontradictioN said:

He probably is. And that’s another problem. Cops that are pipsqueaks and have terrible fitness need to quit being hired. If it were up to me, I’d increase the difficulty of the aptitude tests to get into the academy and have them train in MMA. Muay Thai, Jiu Jitsu, etc. That said, I only see it as him describe his “suspect” when he pulled him over. No different if he had said “black male.” Unfortunately, this country has gotten to the laughable point where we can no longer call a black guy black without scrutiny by spineless, white turds with sticks up their asses. The type that reflexively apologize to people when they hold the door open for someone else and that person doesn’t thank them.

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If I hold the door or let someone go before me and don’t get a “thank you”, I say “you’re welcome” very loudly

And I enjoy doing it with a big smile

TommyBrady12 said:

I don't have a problem with the officer using this description depending on the context, but I don't see how calling a suspect a "large white male" or "big black man" is helpful in police enforcement. What does "large" or "big" even mean? Does it mean 300 pounds? Does it mean 6'5? Unfortunately, there is a stereotype that all black men are "big" and "overgrown" individuals. That's why the cop's description could be perceived as racist. Depends on the audio of the encounter.

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I think we should judge all comments equally. Lets not worry about people being offended

Too many over sensitive honkies these days!

KontradictioN said:

I’ll ask you, then: Is Roberts big? Is Roberts black? Is Roberts a man? Did Roberts get off with a warning when he failed to stop in time and failed to produce insurance? If we’re employing common sense, where do we see racism here? Keep in mind that, by definition, a racist act is one borne out of the belief that one’s race is superior to another’s.

Let’s face it, all sides are equally to blame for the racial issues in this country. Black people are just as culpable as whites people or cops who were losers when they were younger and on a power trip. The black folks who surround cops on a normal traffic stop and record them while launching verbal barbs at them (which are in themselves racial a lot of the time) hold just as much of the blame as a cop who is slamming a suspect’s head into the pavement. Neither side is making the situation any better.

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I agree with basically everything you’re saying. I don’t think there is any evidence of racism here, it’s just that people get a little on edge when officers are calling backup for someone who is non-compliant when they are complying, and doubly so if that person is black. He probably got off with a warning because they realized he was an nfl player.

Completely agree tho, both black and white people are culpable and contribute towards the problem. I don’t give cops the benefit of doubt anymore, but there are a lot of great cops out there.

robertweathers said:

If ER were intent on causing harm he could charge the officer and reach him in a matter of seconds. He could also have a weapon behind his back in which he could reach for and use. Cops are trained to keep these scenarios in the back of their minds. Thats how they survive.

Yes, ER got back in the car and that defused that potential situation.

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Yea being a cop can be dangerous, but statistically speaking there are way more dangerous jobs out there

One issue is our military troops out in war zones have more strict rules of engagement than cops do.

signbabybrady said:

All I can say is I got pulled over in my driveway and jumped out like a moron too and the officer in my case was able to correctly asses the situation. ER's officer did not and we are completely justified to ask why.

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I got pulled over at 1am. I was going 85 in the 65. Had a swarm of Wisconsin State Troopers surround my rental car guns drawn as they thought the car was stolen. I was cuffed and head on the hood.

Just like the ER situation, yours and mine there are events and observations that lead police to react.

PatriotsReign said:

Speculating is really foolhardy and it’s something we see too often today

I don’t know what happened and neither does anyone on Patsfans, so let’s allow it to play out

As I’ve grown older, I now love laws and obeying them. I even come to a complete stop at STOP signs! And I like seeing cops pull people over for not stopping

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Me too. I'm as law-abiding as can be.

I go to gun ranges and cops are there. I also play in a golf tourney for MA State Troopers. They are my friends. So yea, I'm sensitive to their jobs and know the hell some of them have seen and deal with daily. It sucks.

Just like any occupation there are those who are excellent at their jobs. There are others who suck and should be doing something else.

KontradictioN said:

I don’t believe cops. I’ve had enough negative encounters with them that I don’t generally give them the benefit of the doubt. But I don’t see a logical connection between this and racism. So the cop pulled him over because he was a black man then suddenly forgot that he’s a racist and let him off with nothing? Doesn’t add up. I’m not going to disagree that the cop didn’t do his job. You won’t find a post in this thread of me making that argument. He should have been given a ticket at the very least.

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No, he pulled him over because he was a black guy driving a nice car and Cops pull people like that over more often than white people driving nice cars. I doubt it is a cop being blatantly racist and thinking he is gonna screw with this black guy in a nice car...It is just a cop profiling a black guy in a nice car, which is illegal. It may even be unconsciously done. This is why we have Black Lives Matter, to help identify and fix these issues.

JarOfMayo51 said:

Yea being a cop can be dangerous, but statistically speaking there are way more dangerous jobs out there

One issue is our military troops out in war zones have more strict rules of engagement than cops do.

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I don't know what your point is. Sounds like you are saying a cop shouldn't feel threatened because there are more dangerous jobs out there and they should know that and they have way more latitude to shoot someone than a soldier in a war zone.

robertweathers said:

If ER were intent on causing harm he could charge the officer and reach him in a matter of seconds. He could also have a weapon behind his back in which he could reach for and use. Cops are trained to keep these scenarios in the back of their minds. Thats how they survive.

Yes, ER got back in the car and that defused that potential situation.

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Roberts did nothing to escalate...he got home got out and when instructed got back in the car....his hands were always visible.

Like I said, cops know where all the more obvious people live ..... they know who he is else another feather in the hat of incompetence.

Extremely poor handling by police....no excuse

robertweathers said:

Me too. I'm as law-abiding as can be.

I go to gun ranges and cops are there. I also play in a golf tourney for MA State Troopers. They are my friends. So yea, I'm sensitive to their jobs and know the hell some of them have seen and deal with daily. It sucks.

Just like any occupation there are those who are excellent at their jobs. There are others who suck and should be doing something else.

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Exactly. There's always going to be cops that shouldn't be cops. And they make it harder for the vast majority of law enforcement that do their job well.

1960Pats said:

The person acting stupidly was Roberts. The hoop-jumpers are on his side.

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Seeing as you have zero basis to make this claim, I’d have to say that you are part of the problem

IllegalContact said:

Roberts did nothing to escalate...he got home got out and when instructed got back in the car....his hands were always visible.

Like I said, cops know where all the more obvious people live ..... they know who he is else another feather in the hat of incompetence.

Extremely poor handling by police....no excuse

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************ he didn't draw his piece. You can't get out of the car. Full stop. Roberts complied. Case closed.

We have no idea how long the officer was following him with the blues on.

Way too many assumptions. Elandon Roberts is not a household name. Assuming cops know who he is is a assumption.

Kdo5 said:

There is a problem of racial prejudice in the police force, abuse of power, and treating black males in a much different manner than they would a white male. If you don’t believe minorities receive more suspicion then you are plain wrong. As a white dude I’ve been with my minority friend on a few occasions where he was pulled over or stopped on the street and scrutinized in jarring way compared to however I’ve been treated by cops.

My friend made a turn without using his blinker and was borderline interrogated on where he was going, why he was going there and the name of who he was visiting in a rather aggressive tone. All the while my friend was being polite and compliant. I would have been shaken if a cop talked to me that way for a routine traffic violation. I’m sure the same type of thing happened to ER.

Those are just the facts. Im all for body cams as should everyone else.

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Every time I have ever been pulled over the police officer has acted suspiciously, questioned if I knew why I was pulled over, where I was going etc and every single time they did not act in a friendly manner.
I’m white.
I accept that they gave no clue who I am and what danger I could present to them, so I act respectfully and jut has never escalated.

I’m not sure why people think that a police office walking up to any person who has warranted their attention would not be suspicious and cautious. Asking questions is a method they are trained to use in order to gain information to determine whether there is more going on.
To expect a police force to encounter a suspect and not be cautious of the risk is mind boggling to me and to expect them not to ask questions to determine if other violations may be going on would be akin to saying we should have law enforcement.

Nunchucks said:

No, he pulled him over because he was a black guy driving a nice car and Cops pull people like that over more often than white people driving nice cars. I doubt it is a cop being blatantly racist and thinking he is gonna screw with this black guy in a nice car...It is just a cop profiling a black guy in a nice car, which is illegal. It may even be unconsciously done. This is why we have Black Lives Matter, to help identify and fix these issues.

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Okay, so then I’ll direct the same question at you - if he pulled him over because he was a “black guy driving a nice car,” as you so definitively put it, why didn’t he issue a citation? Or do anything for that matter? He let him go. Is that something that racist white cops do, in your extensive experience?

IllegalContact said:

Roberts did nothing to escalate...he got home got out and when instructed got back in the car....his hands were always visible.

Like I said, cops know where all the more obvious people live ..... they know who he is else another feather in the hat of incompetence.

Extremely poor handling by police....no excuse

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He did not get back in his car when instructed he continued out of it and moved toward the officer. It was brief and then he did comply but it certainly was a maneuver that would cause a police officer to see the potential of danger.

AndyJohnson said:

He did not get back in his car when instructed he continued out of it and moved toward the officer. It was brief and then he did comply but it certainly was a maneuver that would cause a police officer to see the potential of danger.

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I watched the video, it was clear that ER was compliant. he may not have moved as fast as he could,, but he was clearly scared for his life. He put his hands up and was non-threatening.

XLIX said:

You're joking, right? When the video starts, you can tell the cop has already lit him up. We don't know how long the lights were flashing before the video starts, but they were already flashing at that point. So what is the cop supposed to do? Say "oh, the guy drove all the way home so now I guess I have to leave him alone"..?​

Then you would be very unwise.

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I can’t believe all the people here who are so transfixed with the aspect of “racism”. Sure, there could be some at play here, but let’s review the bidding before we jump to that particular conclusion:

1) ER was speeding 24 MPH over speed limit
2) ER was caught speeding and police immediately followed with lights flashing
3) ER failed to pull over immediately (we don’t know for how long, but evidence suggests there was sufficient time for yet another police vehicle to join the situation)
4) Irrespective of the duration, ER did not pull over, opting instead to keep driving until reaching his own driveway
5) ER got out of his vehicle despite the officer’s warning NOT to do so (remember the tinted windows aspect too)
6) ER did NOT immediately return to his vehicle when told to do so (recall that it’s much more difficult to shoot an officer while sitting down from inside a vehicle vs when outside and standing up; also recall the police officer likely doesn’t know who this person is yet)
7) ER’s wife did not make a positive contribution to this situation (and she had no clue what had occurred prior to emerging from the house)
8) Once the police officer receives license and registration (and it appears that took some time while ER also looked for his insurance card/document) they run it on the computer to see if any other infractions, outstanding warrants, and/or criminal record. That can take several minutes. Even if 9 minutes had transpired (ER’s version of the story), that is not extraordinary.
9) After the fact, and when better able to review the circumstances as they transpired, the Police Dept decided to forego charging ER...and for good measure had police officer’s supervisor review engagement procedures.

Sounds to me like an acceptable ending to the situation...with ER getting the benefit of the doubt and the police officer given heightened awareness concerning his sensitivity.

I am not a police officer and rarely post on this forum (but appreciate it immensely).