Driving while black

[TitanTiger 20,460]

A black Ohio man got a police officer to admit to him on video that he followed him for nearly two miles and pulled him over for making “direct eye contact,” talk show host David Pakman reported.

“As suspicious as ‘making direct eye contact’ may be to a police officer, doing the exact opposite — that is, avoiding eye contact with a police officer — could be considered equally suspicious by an officer,” Pakman noted. “In other words, both making eye contact and not making eye contact with police could, conceivably, be grounds for a traffic stop, if you agree with the general principle suggested herein.”

The motorist, John Felton, posted the video online after the encounter earlier this month, saying he started recording as soon as the officer started tailing him as he drove to his mother’s house in Dayton.

“He saw Michigan plates,” Felton says. “He just needed a reason. Why would you follow me every step of the way, every turn I make?”

The officer is seen telling Felton he pulled him over for not signalling a turn 100 feet before doing so, before asking for both his driver’s license and his passengers. When Felton asks why the officer needs the other man’s license, the officer says, “I can identify who’s in the car.”

Later, the officer tells Felton he is letting him off with a warning.

“Like I said, it’s a violation if you don’t turn your turn signal on,” the officer says, before Felton cuts him off.

“You’ve been tailing me for how long? You just needed a reason to pull me over,” Felton says. “No disrespect, I don’t have nothing against police officers, but all this sh*t that’s going on now? That’s some scary sh*t. To have a police officer just tail you, and then you pull me over, ’cause you said I didn’t signal — what? Do you know how it looks?”

Felton then asks the officer again why he would pull him over.

“Because you made direct eye contact with me, and you held on to it while I was passing you,” the officer admits.

“What?” Felton asks incredulously. “I didn’t even see you.”

“I’m not gonna argue about it anymore, sir,” the officer tells him. “If you want to keep talking, though, I’ll just get your license back and give you a citation for the violation, and we can take it to court. I’m not gonna argue about it anymore.”

“OK, sir,” Felton says. The video ends with him telling the passenger, “This is bullsh*t” as the officer walks away from his car.

Watch Pakman’s report on the incident,

below.

http://www.rawstory....ct-eye-contact/

[AURaptor 1,121]

Nothing in the exchange indicates that the man was pulled over for DWB though.

I guess that's left up to the individual's own imagination.

[TitanTiger 20,460]

Because unless the cop just comes out and says he pulled you over because you're black, it isn't true.

I think it's indicative of the sorts of silly standards black people live under when it comes to police that just don't happen to white people.

[AURaptor 1,121]

Because unless the cop just comes out and says he pulled you over because you're black, it isn't true.

I think it's indicative of the sorts of silly standards black people live under when it comes to police that just don't happen to white people.

Cops look for single males who are driving in cars w/ out of state plates. That's a given, regardless of skin color / race. He came right out and said he followed him because he looked at him, but won't do the same w/ regards to his race ? Again, that's creative interpretation as to what really was in the mind of the cop.

[alexava 6,972]

If you are white, driving a 17 year old camry with faded paint and a missing hubcap at 2:30am you get followed and pulled over occasionally too. Living proof. It is called stereotyping. We all do it.

[cole256 17,038]

Well then you should also understand how that can be aggravating, especially if this is the third or fourth time but then there's the chance of getting shot because you are "angry" and a threat. You're a threat when you were minding your own business. But that's part of the game. It's a crap shoot you don't have control of, better just hope it's a good cop that pulls you over and hope for the best. Don't show any emotion, don't ask questions, do or don't make eye contact because either way you're screwed, give up your dignity, and you get to live another day to probably go through it again (if it's a bad cop)

[TitanTiger 20,460]

If you are white, driving a 17 year old camry with faded paint and a missing hubcap at 2:30am you get followed and pulled over occasionally too. Living proof. It is called stereotyping. We all do it.

But the officer cited none of those reasons. He said it was because of "prolonged eye contact."

[SaturdayGT 719]

When I was 17, I had a local cop harass me because I looked "Guilty of something" on 3 different occasions. I had the licence number of my parents vehicle ran through to make sure it wasn't stolen on one occasion while pumping gas. I was also asked to show what was in my pockets and he searched my cigarettes on that same occasion and then did the same type search 2 other times, once while in a waffle house, then the other at another store. It didnt bother me at the time....in fact I kinda had fun in sort of way knowing he was trying to get me on something when there was nothing he could get me on.

[aujeff11 6,243]

When I was 17, I had a local cop harass me because I looked "Guilty of something" on 3 different occasions. I had the licence number of my parents vehicle ran through to make sure it wasn't stolen on one occasion while pumping gas. I was also asked to show what was in my pockets and he searched my cigarettes on that same occasion and then did the same type search 2 other times, once while in a waffle house, then the other at another store. It didnt bother me at the time....in fact I kinda had fun in sort of way knowing he was trying to get me on something when there was nothing he could get me on.

That cop raped your constitutional rights. I hope you realize that today and won't allow a cop to do that even if you know you are clean.

[SaturdayGT 719]

When I was 17, I had a local cop harass me because I looked "Guilty of something" on 3 different occasions. I had the licence number of my parents vehicle ran through to make sure it wasn't stolen on one occasion while pumping gas. I was also asked to show what was in my pockets and he searched my cigarettes on that same occasion and then did the same type search 2 other times, once while in a waffle house, then the other at another store. It didnt bother me at the time....in fact I kinda had fun in sort of way knowing he was trying to get me on something when there was nothing he could get me on.

That cop raped your constitutional rights. I hope you realize that today and won't allow a cop to do that even if you know you are clean.

Oh no doubt! I would be more bothered that it was going on than by the inconvenience it would cause me though.

[alexava 6,972]

If you are white, driving a 17 year old camry with faded paint and a missing hubcap at 2:30am you get followed and pulled over occasionally too. Living proof. It is called stereotyping. We all do it.

But the officer cited none of those reasons. He said it was because of "prolonged eye contact."

then the driver said he didn't even see him so that was a lie. He looked suspicious bottom line. He was not arrested or killed. The cops gave me different reasons for stopping me, taglight, swerved. I didn't get mad or a ticket probably because i was cordial to him and he was to me. Didn't write a warning just recommended i fix tag light which i didn't. The second time i was stopped for swerving (i know i didn't swerve) this cop didn't even mention the taglight. Just checked my license for warrants i suppose and said drive safe. I didn't challenge him. I recently traded up from that 96 to an 06 Camry. For my work commuter car and don't get followed as much. My point is the taglight don't really matter, swerving is imaginary, can't be proven either way. I looked like a stoner late at night. When he saw my credentials i was sent on. I'm not crying about it.

[TitanTiger 20,460]

You're still making excuses for something you know is bull****.

He didn't swerve. And the cop is changing his story. First it was over a turn signal. Then it became "you looked at me for too long." The cop is lying. And this is not something that normally happens to white people.

[alexava 6,972]

You're still making excuses for something you know is bull****.

He didn't swerve. And the cop is changing his story. First it was over a turn signal. Then it became "you looked at me for too long." The cop is lying. And this is not something that normally happens to white people.

the cop should have stuck with his original lie. No harm no foul. The next stop on suspicion might have a child sex slave tied up in the trunk. It does happen to white people who look suspicious.

[Strychnine 1,802]

You're still making excuses for something you know is bull****.

He didn't swerve. And the cop is changing his story. First it was over a turn signal. Then it became "you looked at me for too long." The cop is lying. And this is not something that normally happens to white people.

the cop should have stuck with his original lie. No harm no foul. The next stop on suspicion might have a child sex slave tied up in the trunk. It does happen to white people who look suspicious.

Plenty of foul. I have a serious problem with the police lying when their mere word is generally considered the equivalent of infallible in court. The next stop on suspicion might have a child sex slave tied up in the trunk, or it might not. His next two hundred stops on suspicion may yield nothing before he gets to liberate the child sex slave, or he may never (my money is on never). The endless possibilities of what could possibly be in a space the size of a trunk are not justification for arbitrary police intrusion. That is the logic behind a police state, not a free one.

[AUDub 11,113]

You're still making excuses for something you know is bull****.

He didn't swerve. And the cop is changing his story. First it was over a turn signal. Then it became "you looked at me for too long." The cop is lying. And this is not something that normally happens to white people.

the cop should have stuck with his original lie. No harm no foul. The next stop on suspicion might have a child sex slave tied up in the trunk. It does happen to white people who look suspicious.

Plenty of foul. I have a serious problem with the police lying when their mere word is generally considered the equivalent of infallible in court. The next stop on suspicion might have a child sex slave tied up in the trunk, or it might not. His next two hundred stops on suspicion may yield nothing before he gets to liberate the child sex slave, or he may never (my money is on never). The endless possibilities of what could possibly be in a space the size of a trunk are not justification for arbitrary police intrusion. That is the logic behind a police state, not a free one.

Well put.

[cole256 17,038]

So next you should be ok with getting patted down in stores because you don't look the part? And as far as being suspicious who's really going to get the brunt of that?

Work hard, yeah you might start off in bad circumstances but no excuses make it happen, then after overcoming major obstacles that a good bit of the population won't acknowledge you're subjected to situations like this because how the hell did you pull that off?? No we can't believe that pull him over he's suspicious.... (that's looking at it from black people that may be successful)

You're either looked at as equal in the eyes of the law or not. And if he's lying about something as petty as that why should his word be held at a high standard?

[homersapien 11,337]

If you are white, driving a 17 year old camry with faded paint and a missing hubcap at 2:30am you get followed and pulled over occasionally too. Living proof. It is called stereotyping. We all do it.

But the officer cited none of those reasons. He said it was because of "prolonged eye contact."

then the driver said he didn't even see him so that was a lie. He looked suspicious bottom line. He was not arrested or killed. The cops gave me different reasons for stopping me, taglight, swerved. I didn't get mad or a ticket probably because i was cordial to him and he was to me. Didn't write a warning just recommended i fix tag light which i didn't. The second time i was stopped for swerving (i know i didn't swerve) this cop didn't even mention the taglight. Just checked my license for warrants i suppose and said drive safe. I didn't challenge him. I recently traded up from that 96 to an 06 Camry. For my work commuter car and don't get followed as much. My point is the taglight don't really matter, swerving is imaginary, can't be proven either way. I looked like a stoner late at night. When he saw my credentials i was sent on. I'm not crying about it.

You are suspiciously consistent in threads about race-based police abuse. There has to be a reason.

[alexava 6,972]

If you are white, driving a 17 year old camry with faded paint and a missing hubcap at 2:30am you get followed and pulled over occasionally too. Living proof. It is called stereotyping. We all do it.

But the officer cited none of those reasons. He said it was because of "prolonged eye contact."

then the driver said he didn't even see him so that was a lie. He looked suspicious bottom line. He was not arrested or killed. The cops gave me different reasons for stopping me, taglight, swerved. I didn't get mad or a ticket probably because i was cordial to him and he was to me. Didn't write a warning just recommended i fix tag light which i didn't. The second time i was stopped for swerving (i know i didn't swerve) this cop didn't even mention the taglight. Just checked my license for warrants i suppose and said drive safe. I didn't challenge him. I recently traded up from that 96 to an 06 Camry. For my work commuter car and don't get followed as much. My point is the taglight don't really matter, swerving is imaginary, can't be proven either way. I looked like a stoner late at night. When he saw my credentials i was sent on. I'm not crying about it.

You are suspiciously consistent in threads about race-based police abuse. There has to be a reason.

some people are honest some are not. I don't know why the man was stopped. I do know he was not even ticketed much less abused. Get over it. Police are constantly scrutinized for either doing too much or not enough. As long as i am not being physically or verbally abused or wrongfully fined i will take it. Unless cop is an a**hole i can't get upset over a stop that results with a warning. Black or white.

[homersapien 11,337]

If you are white, driving a 17 year old camry with faded paint and a missing hubcap at 2:30am you get followed and pulled over occasionally too. Living proof. It is called stereotyping. We all do it.

But the officer cited none of those reasons. He said it was because of "prolonged eye contact."

then the driver said he didn't even see him so that was a lie. He looked suspicious bottom line. He was not arrested or killed. The cops gave me different reasons for stopping me, taglight, swerved. I didn't get mad or a ticket probably because i was cordial to him and he was to me. Didn't write a warning just recommended i fix tag light which i didn't. The second time i was stopped for swerving (i know i didn't swerve) this cop didn't even mention the taglight. Just checked my license for warrants i suppose and said drive safe. I didn't challenge him. I recently traded up from that 96 to an 06 Camry. For my work commuter car and don't get followed as much. My point is the taglight don't really matter, swerving is imaginary, can't be proven either way. I looked like a stoner late at night. When he saw my credentials i was sent on. I'm not crying about it.

You are suspiciously consistent in threads about race-based police abuse. There has to be a reason.

some people are honest some are not. I don't know why the man was stopped. I do know he was not even ticketed much less abused. Get over it. Police are constantly scrutinized for either doing too much or not enough. As long as i am not being physically or verbally abused or wrongfully fined i will take it. Unless cop is an a**hole i can't get upset over a stop that results with a warning. Black or white.

Sounds like you are OK with bullying behavior by cops. I think we can do better.

[alexava 6,972]

If you are white, driving a 17 year old camry with faded paint and a missing hubcap at 2:30am you get followed and pulled over occasionally too. Living proof. It is called stereotyping. We all do it.

But the officer cited none of those reasons. He said it was because of "prolonged eye contact."

then the driver said he didn't even see him so that was a lie. He looked suspicious bottom line. He was not arrested or killed. The cops gave me different reasons for stopping me, taglight, swerved. I didn't get mad or a ticket probably because i was cordial to him and he was to me. Didn't write a warning just recommended i fix tag light which i didn't. The second time i was stopped for swerving (i know i didn't swerve) this cop didn't even mention the taglight. Just checked my license for warrants i suppose and said drive safe. I didn't challenge him. I recently traded up from that 96 to an 06 Camry. For my work commuter car and don't get followed as much. My point is the taglight don't really matter, swerving is imaginary, can't be proven either way. I looked like a stoner late at night. When he saw my credentials i was sent on. I'm not crying about it.

You are suspiciously consistent in threads about race-based police abuse. There has to be a reason.

some people are honest some are not. I don't know why the man was stopped. I do know he was not even ticketed much less abused. Get over it. Police are constantly scrutinized for either doing too much or not enough. As long as i am not being physically or verbally abused or wrongfully fined i will take it. Unless cop is an a**hole i can't get upset over a stop that results with a warning. Black or white.

Sounds like you are OK with bullying behavior by cops. I think we can do better.

we absolutely need to do better. Asking LE to be less vigilant is not doing better. Asking them to be more respectful and less condescending is my wish. I have seen that too, and filed complaints.

[autigeremt 6,560]

Ban cops, support gangs.

My new 2016 campaign slogan.

[Weegle777 78]

How many people in this thread are, or ever have been a cop? Serious question.

[AUDub 11,113]

How many people in this thread are, or ever have been a cop? Serious question.

Courtier's Reply again, Weegs?

[TitanTiger 20,460]

How many people in this thread are, or ever have been a cop? Serious question.

I've never been a woman. Does that mean I have nothing relevant to say about abortion?

That logic cuts in ways you don't like too.

[Strychnine 1,802]

How many people in this thread are, or ever have been a cop? Serious question.

I've never been a woman. Does that mean I have nothing relevant to say about abortion?

That logic cuts in ways you don't like too.

Or gay, or an illegal alien, or President of the United States...