Posted on 04/12/2015 7:12:32 PM PDT by Impala64ssa
On Wednesday, a young African American man posted a video to his Facebook page voicing his feelings after being pulled over by a police officer.
His message has since gone viral with over 20,000 likes and 64,000 shares. The man in the video, 22-year-old Army National Guardsman Will Stack, was reportedly stopped by the officer after ‘improper use of a median.’
In the video, which was shared by Young Cons, Stack explains:
“An officer pulled up behind me, throws on his lights. After understanding that he was there for me, I pulled off to the side and he came up and said how are you’re doing…
The reason I pulled you over is for improper use of the median. He told me what I did, asked for my license and my registration, I gave them to him. He left for a while. Now I will say that while he was gone and while he was with me, I made sure my hands were on the steering wheel.
I made sure to speak very politely as I always do. I did what he told me to do, I handed him the information and I sat there and I waited.” Stack elaborated on what unfolded after the officer returned:
“A few minutes later, the guy comes back. He hands me my stuff and explains the median needs to be open for emergency vehicles. I was in the wrong and I didn’t realize it. I just did out of habit. He gave me a warning and I was about my way.” He also emphasized his entire point for sharing his experience with the cop:
“Just because you’re black, doesn’t mean you’re a victim. Just because you’re white doesn’t mean you’re a racist. Just because you’re a cop does’t mean you’re a bad person. This world really needs to stop putting labels on people and things and see them as who they are – people doing jobs and things.” Stack ended his commentary by suggesting that ignorance doesn’t “have any color” and that “God doesn’t see any color.”
IJReview reached out to Stack about his video and asked him why he wants people to share his message. He said:
“The time of inequality is over. The time for looking our for just your group or race is over. It’s is going to take everyone looking out for everyone no matter the race or group, without the discrimination and racism. Its time to work together to save mankind.”
if you are stopped, never ever stay on a busy road...always get off the first chance you get...turn off the engine..hands on the steering wheel,,,youll get a warning every time. Cops get pissed if they have to worry about getting hit by a car on a busy street.
They know you cant have a CCW without a backround check...and I always inform them that I am carrying and where and ask them if they would like to hold my weapon. during the stop.
To date no one has asked for it.
They always ask what I carry though...”.I'm old school...a .357 S&W stainless with a 4” barrel”
The usual responce is “ that’ll work” and I get handed back my licenses with the old “keep under a hundred would ya”
“Yes sir and thank you...have a safe day”
I said I was polite and respectful. Furthermore, the police officers were polite and respectful, and the encounters were pleasant. You don’t get a warning only, or get waved on, by being obnoxious and resentful.
I didn’t even think about putting my hands on the wheel. It never occurred to me that I would need to reassure a fit, law-abiding, grown man with a gun, and make him feel safe.
When you suggest it to me, I think the world is upside down.
You know what danger to the officers I considered? Their being struck by a car, and so I either pulled off the road as far as possible, or in a parking lot.
What a refreshing change is right.
He also speaks proper English. Not the usual no wut im sayin.
He better watch out, if it hasn’t happened yet, I hear the accusations of uncle tom coming down the pike. Or acting white.
All this feel goodism but the author still uses that phrase I hate so much. “African American.” If he wasn’t born in Africa he is no more African than I am.
I drive 140k a year
I see the blue lights a bit
I’ve never kept my hands on my wheel
Might be a mechanism to stop annoying pausing mouth sounds (ah, er, um, etc.).
A few years ago in Florida, there were a number of cases of cases of cars being bumped from behind and then when the person stopped, muggers would come out and rob the stopped car. I think that the most familiar case was when a German woman was killed right after leaving the airport and one of the things that happened immediately as a result of this case was that all rental car companies stopped putting stickers on car bumpers that were identifying the cars as rentals. Anyway, the other thing that came out of this is that people expressed discomfort at being pulled over if a) they were unsure it actually was a cop (sometimes the cars are unmarked) or if b) the location was dark, unfamiliar or was otherwise secluded. The solution to this was that people were told at the time that if you ever get pulled over, you were to drive to a nearest well lit ‘public location’ you could find…. pull into a shopping plaza or in a fast food parking lot or something like that.
Here’s my question….. Who in their right mind believes that if you are pulled over some place that is miles away from a ‘public place’, the cops aren’t going to be putting out spike belts if the car they are trying to stop doesn’t do so immediately? And nowadays, lots of places they have made it illegal to talk on a cell phone while driving so rest assured, if you called 911 to pass on a message that what you were doing was ‘driving to a public space’, you would be given another ticket for ‘driving while talking on your cell phone’.
That is so wrong. Cops will tell you to immediately pull over, they have already made the decision that it is safe. Do as you suggest and you will get a tirade of abuse.
Nobody denies that the overwhelming majority of the police out there are good, hard-working, decent, competent individuals who go out there every day and do their best at a very difficult job. But that does not negate the fact that there are other cops out there who shoot unarmed fleeing suspects in the back, who kill 12 year old boys in the park, or who shoot unarmed suspects with their pistol thinking it was a taser. Criticizing that minority does not make one anti-cop.
Now that is funny, thanks!
Probably would not have received warnings had you had a bad attitude.
I forgot to put in some more details, but he told the police officer he had a weapon and he did not have a license to have a weapon in the state which is stupid for he was just driving through MA, not living in it.
Mass and NJ guns laws are so strict, that you can go to jail for a year if you are caught driving thru their states with a handgun and cannot prove you legal possession.
http://www.cjrpc.org/interstate_1.htm
I got family in Mass, but I will visit but will not live there, thanks for the heads up.
you stop on a busy street, youre gettin a ticket, guaranteed. ive done it at least a dozen times over the years, the officers were very appreciative. Its only common sense, yeesh.
tirade of abuse?....i was once pulled over by a Illinois State Trooper, and i drove at least a quarter mile to the first exit...once he approached, i explained that i wanted to get off the interstate for safety reasons. You know how the stop ended up?...i sat in the front seat of his patrol car, talking with him for over an hour, about everything,,the weather, how he was ready to retire...he explained how that section of was a main route for drug traffickers...oh..and no ticket either...
you gotta pay attention...i didnt say a country road in the middle of nowhere..i said a main busy street , ya know,,,with lots of other traffic and stuff. You stay on a busy street, the cop not only has to worry about you, he also has to worry about oncoming traffic from behind and gettin hit. Makes sense huh?
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