Police in Minnesota released bodycam video of the traffic stop involving state Rep. John Thompson (D), raising questions pertaining to his claim he was stopped for “driving while black.”
The St. Paul Police Department released the video Tuesday showing the moment an officer approached Thompson’s vehicle on July 4, according to Fox News.
“Why in such a hurry?” the policeman asked Thompson, who replied, “I don’t think I took off like a bat out of hell. I just drove off.”
Once the officer asked him for proof of insurance, Thompson said it was on his phone and added he is a state representative.
“With a Wisconsin license?” the officer questioned.
“Yeah, with a Wisconsin license,” Thompson stated.
“You’re suspended in Minnesota,” the policeman told Thompson a few minutes later, to which he replied, “No.”
Thompson’s license was reportedly suspended in 2019 when he failed to pay child support in Ramsey County, according to the Fox article.
When Thompson asked why he was pulled over, the policeman explained it was because he had “no front plate and the way you took off from the light back there.”
“You profiled me because you looked me dead in the face and I got a ticket for driving while black,” Thompson claimed. “You pulled me over because you saw a black face in this car, brother, and there’s no way in hell I’m taking off with you behind me.”
He then told the officer, “What you’re doing is wrong to black men and you need to stop that… what I’m saying is you stop racially profiling black men in their cars, sir.”
Concerns regarding his license grew when the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association asked the Wisconsin attorney general to investigate Thompson for repeatedly acquiring a Wisconsin license while he lived in Minnesota, claiming he “defrauded Wisconsin,” the Star Tribune reported Wednesday.
In a Facebook post on July 9, St. Paul Police Chief Todd Axtell said, “This stop, made at about 1:20 in the morning, had absolutely nothing to do with the driver’s race”:
“The driver, an elected official who does not dispute driving without a front license plate, owes our sergeant an apology,” he concluded.
I didn't know you could refuse to pay child support, lose your license in one state, and still get elected to government office. I suppose if anyone questioned it they'd be smeared as a racist, lose their job, and never dare to question the authoritarian left again.
And when the Confederates saw Jackson standing fearless like a stonewall, the army of Northern Virginia took courage and drove the federal army off their land.
Erm ... assuming that report is true, maybe there are some black people who are neither nice nor honest?
I hate to break it to you ...
Maksutov:
That's the problem with this supernatural stuff, it doesn't really solve anything. It's a placeholder for ignorance.
Mayan Elephant:
Not only have I denounced the Big Lie, I have denounced the Big lie big lie.
Based on the synopsis provided by canpakes it seems clear that this incident was not just another "driving while black" incident, and Thompson fully deserves to be cited for the violations pointed out by the cop. Being a member of the Minnesota legislature obligates him to be extra scrupulous in following the law, regardless of what political party he belongs to. So what? His actions and lack of compliance with the law discredit him alone -- not the political party to which he happens to claim allegiance.
No precept or claim is more suspect or more likely to be false than one that can only be supported by invoking the claim of Divine authority for it--no matter who or what claims such authority.
Based on the synopsis provided by canpakes it seems clear that this incident was not just another "driving while black" incident, and Thompson fully deserves to be cited for the violations pointed out by the cop.
According to Representative Thompson he was only pulled over because he was black.
His actions and lack of compliance with the law discredit him alone
It sure didn't discredit him with Democrat voters. Isn't it amazing in a country so rife with systemic racism where blacks are punished so much more severely than whites for the same crimes that a father delinquent on his child support, driving in a rude and aggressive manner such that he would draw the attention of law enforcement, without a proper license, and registered in a different state than which he was elected and yet still could ascend to public office. It seems to me that his race has been a major advantage in allowing him to get away with these kind of things probably throughout his life.
And when the Confederates saw Jackson standing fearless like a stonewall, the army of Northern Virginia took courage and drove the federal army off their land.
... a father delinquent on his child support ... It seems to me that his race has been a major advantage in allowing him to get away with these kind of things probably throughout his life.
It sure didn't discredit him with Democrat voters. Isn't it amazing in a country so rife with systemic racism where blacks are punished so much more severely than whites for the same crimes that a father delinquent on his child support, driving in a rude and aggressive manner such that he would draw the attention of law enforcement, without a proper license, and registered in a different state than which he was elected and yet still could ascend to public office. It seems to me that his race has been a major advantage in allowing him to get away with these kind of things probably throughout his life.
Canpakes and Dr.Cam are right. Blacks and/or Democrats are not unique in sometimes getting away with things they shouldn't have. None are more notorious for that than White, Republican politicians, especially Trump cronies and, arguably, Trump himself.
No precept or claim is more suspect or more likely to be false than one that can only be supported by invoking the claim of Divine authority for it--no matter who or what claims such authority.
It seems to me that his race has been a major advantage in allowing him to get away with these kind of things probably throughout his life.
Canpakes and Dr.Cam are right. Blacks and/or Democrats are not unique in sometimes getting away with things they shouldn't have. None are more notorious for that than White, Republican politicians, especially Trump cronies and, arguably, Trump himself.
It’s an odd assertion for him to make, yes?
This is the sort of stuff that just feeds the notion that systemic racism, via widespread racist attitude, is an issue. Not sure why ajax would want to ‘make it true’ just that much more.
