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

KontradictioN said:

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?

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ChesBay said:

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 - Assumption
2) ER was caught speeding and police immediately followed with lights flashing - Assumption
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) - Assumption
4) Irrespective of the duration, ER did not pull over, opting instead to keep driving until reaching his own driveway - Fact - but he was home, it is not an unreasonable move to make by ER
5) ER got out of his vehicle despite the officer’s warning NOT to do so (remember the tinted windows aspect too) - Two different things here - He got out of the car when told not to, why? As for the Window Tint, we don't know whether the cop could see or not see so the tint's effect is an assumption
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) - ER's hands were up in the air and he moved super slow, he was clearly scared as he should be. This is how people get shot
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)- Witness
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.- Alternatively, he realized he had harassed a rich black man for no reason and could get seriously screwed, so he reviewed it with his supervisor to get his read on the situation

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 agree the ending was acceptable, it is the stuff that happened before that seems unacceptable

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

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Nunchucks said:

He didn't get a ticket because there was no evidence of speeding Assumption
and he realized that ER was not under the influence or had drugs, which is what he expected to find Assumption
because black guys in nice cars are more likely to be law breakers than professionals (in the cops experience/opinion). Assumption
Once it was established that ER was not a criminal, the officer had to figure out a way to get out of there, Assumption
knowing that a speeding ticket would be fought in court and the pretext for pulling him over would be obvious, so he just left him and hoped for the best. Assumption
.

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Nunchucks said:

He didn't get a ticket because there was no evidence of speeding and he realized that ER was not under the influence or had drugs, which is what he expected to find because black guys in nice cars are more likely to be law breakers than professionals (in the cops experience/opinion). Once it was established that ER was not a criminal, the officer had to figure out a way to get out of there, knowing that a speeding ticket would be fought in court and the pretext for pulling him over would be obvious, so he just left him and hoped for the best.

This happens everyday across our country, you cannot refute this fact. Driving while black is a thing for a reason.

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AndyJohnson said:

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.

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Nunchucks said:

He didn't get a ticket because there was no evidence of speeding and he realized that ER was not under the influence or had drugs, which is what he expected to find because black guys in nice cars are more likely to be law breakers than professionals (in the cops experience/opinion). Once it was established that ER was not a criminal, the officer had to figure out a way to get out of there, knowing that a speeding ticket would be fought in court and the pretext for pulling him over would be obvious, so he just left him and hoped for the best.

This happens everyday across our country, you cannot refute this fact. Driving while black is a thing for a reason.

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Kdo5 said:

Have you ever been stopped in the street, accused of nefarious behavior, had four cop cars called when they had no basis for any accusation?

When my buddy was pulled over it wasn’t just asking where he was going. It was borderline interrogation asking what his purpose is for driving in Watertown, demanding names of who he is visiting and why and asking to search his car for no reason other than not using his blinker.

I’m white, been pulled over plenty of times for traffic violations and never been treated in such a way. Obviously cops aren’t going to be friendly but treating someone like a criminal on no basis happens to minorities all of the time. Not so much your average white person.

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KontradictioN said:

I have. And I’m as white as can be. I used to get pulled over in Martin County (sound familiar?) and asked right off the bat where the weed or the coke was. Pretty soon three other units would be pulling up.

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Clonamery said:

Huh, maybe they were getting mixed signals, you know, the whole slutty woman thing?

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KontradictioN said:

He didn’t have insurance and reportedly didn’t stop right away when he was pulled over. Further, it’s been demonstrated in many cases that cops, especially racist ones, can and have fudged the truth. And yet... nothing. Why? A racist cop that’s so hell bent on giving a black man a ticket simply because he’s black could have certainly found a way to do so in that situation. Why didn’t he? That’s a rhetorical question, by the way. We both know the answer to that.

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KontradictioN said:

How dare you assume my gender.

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Nunchucks said:

I think I explained my reasoning in the post you quoted.

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Elijah said:

Racism isn't real guys

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Elijah said:

Racism isn't real guys

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KontradictioN said:

No, you really didn’t. You assumed there was no evidence of speeding and failed to address why this violently racist white cop didn’t issue a citation for not pulling over immediately when lit up and for failing to provide proof of insurance. You know, the kind of nitpicking citations that racist cops give out when they pull over a black guy because he’s black? Please make that compute logically without wandering into the realm of conspiracy theory.

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Nunchucks said:

Now you are putting words in my post. "violently racist?" I even said he could have unconsciously profiled ER. Stop projecting.

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KontradictioN said:

Even if he unconsciously profiled him, that would make him a racist, correct? Right. So, let’s get back to it - why would a racist cop let him off with a warning? Especially when said cop had enough to go on to issue multiple citations even IF there wasn’t any evidence of speeding? Come on. You can get there. I have faith in you.

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