Friday, March 29, 2024

Police Brutality vs Crying Wolf: Imani Perry.

March 3, 2016 by  
Filed under News, Opinion, Weekly Columns

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(ThyBlackMan.com) Every day in America there is racism, that is a fact. Every week in this country there is likely police brutality and statistics or videos expose the corruption. But every single traffic stop of an African American by a Caucasian officer is not based on racism, racial profiling or an attempt to oppress the African American people. There are many cases where the stops are legitimate and justified. So we must be careful what we label as a racial incident or we run the risk of losing credibility by always crying wolf. Cry wolf as loud as you can and using any means you can when there is actually a wolf.

One such incident of crying wolf is the traffic stop of Princeton Professor Imani Perry, an African American female pulled over on a traffic stop by two Caucasian police officers. But before you scream “bloody racism” and connect it with the Sandra Bland incident, let’s take a look at the facts. Over 20 minutes of the traffic stop was caught on the police dashcam video so click the link below and take a look.       https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwFSHzYNA8I

If you have watched the video of Professor Perry’s traffic stop and you are honest, several things will become crystal clear. Imani Perry was speeding and doing 64 in a 45 mph zone. That was why she was imani-perry-police-officer-2016pulled over. The officer ran her driver’s license and it came back as a suspended license. Upon further investigation, it was discovered that Perry had a warrant out for her arrest related to a ticket she received years ago. When the officer asked her if she had received any tickets possibly, she lied. No she did not forget, she lied – likely hoping they would let her go and we all know it.

As a former detective, an instructor on police encounters and senior legal analyst for the Metro Atlanta Crime Commission (atlantacrimecommission@yahoo.com), I have no problem exposing a racist, bully, egotistical, mentally unstable or poorly trained police officer who abuses a private citizen. But that does not appear to be the case here.

The officer was extremely polite. He explained everything. He assured her that she would have to simply pay the ticket and she would be released . It appears she did and she was released in less than a day. He could have charged her with giving false information to a police officer, a misdemeanor crime in many states, but he didn’t. As a courtesy, he asked her if she had anyone she could have pick up her car, though he did not have to ask that either. I do not know the officer nor his experience or beliefs. But I do know that I saw a polite, respectful officer who appeared to be doing his job – at least in the video.

After lying to the police, speeding almost 20 miles over the speed limit, driving on a suspended license, and failing to pay a ticket or show up for court, take a guess what Imani Perry did? She went to Facebook and blamed the police officers as she played the race card. She said she was arrested for a ticket and not allowed to make a call at the scene to let people know where she was. But Imani you were arrested because of a warrant, not because of a speeding ticket. There is a difference. If there is an active warrant on you, the police cannot let you go. Duh! Professor Perry you are a Princeton Professor and that should be accompanied with an extremely high intellect. Use it.

No police officer is obligated to allow you to make phone calls at the scene when you have just been arrested. The officer clearly told Perry that she could make all the calls she wanted once she got to the station. But Perry wanted to make calls on her own terms, a major problem when you are under arrest.

Visit us on Facebook at POLICE ENCOUNTERS 101 and learn how to handle a police encounter.

A fellow writer (Boyce Watkins) discussed this matter in a Youtube video. See it here for yourself. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2UP8DQGkn0

Initially his facts were somewhat incorrect about Perry’s speed and the reason for her arrest (not for a ticket Boyce). But as he continued the interview with his guest, he did a good job at attempting to look at the matter fairly and from several angles. Boyce and others, a ticket is a summons to appear in court. If you do not appear, a judge may issue a bench warrant for failure to appear – not for the ticket. Again, Imani Perry was not arrested for a parking ticket, but for the warrant. And again, there is a difference.

We need to be careful not to cry wolf, especially when we are (or were) “riding dirty” so to speak. I cannot say much about Perry’s claims regarding her being searched, but I can say in many states, either gender can do a Terry search or pat down. More extensive and invasive searches must usually be completed by an officer who is the same gender as the alleged perpetrator. Nor can I comment at present regarding Perry’s claims that she was handcuffed to a table, except to say that is strange and to ask why. My agency has already commented directly to the Princeton Police Department and Imani Perry via her Facebook page. We will watch how this matter develops.

If we cry wolf and there is not one, as the story goes, we run the risk of losing credibility. Racism is a fact but not in every case and not lurking under every single rock or badge. The more you know of your rights and the laws in your city or state that impact you, the more you will be able to tell what is likely racism, racial profiling, discrimination or not.

So let’s go by the facts and the evidence before we react, letting the chips fall where ever they may. But if you feed the beast known as “us vs. them“, you run the risk of becoming part of the problem and the same mindset on the other side of the coin. The same mindset you are trying to combat. It is YOUR responsibility to know your rights and the laws that affect you.

Staff Writer; Marque-Anthony


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