The cop stops the guy for running a red light, a passenger flees the scene, the guy is uncooperative and argumentative. He is not beaten, cursed, or abused. He gets a ticket. Now the cop’s job is at risk because someone plays the race card.“The Moatses, who are black, said they can’t help but think that race might have played a part in how Powell, who is white, treated them.”
In another article it says that Moats stopped at the light, turned on his flashers, and proceeded with caution. When flagged by the cop, he pulled into the hospital lot and stopped. The passenger "flees" into the hospital telling the objecting cop, "My mom is dying!"The driver cooperated as much as you or anyone else would when under the duress of that moment. The cop threatened to take the driver to jail for pleading the exigency of the moment and requesting compassion. Authorities come out of the hospital to request that the driver come into the hospital. The cop continued to delay writing a ticket, which was ultimately torn up, until after the driver's mother-in-law died. Most or all of the above is on videotape.
Was the cop trying to promote public safety? I say that was the last thing on his mind. You can never prove it was not racism, and you have to assume that no black learning of the story will think otherwise. That is no way to promote public safety, it's a recipe for hostility toward law enforcement in particular and white people in general. And you are glad there a people like that on your police force? Thanks a lot!
I would add that the cop was trolling for tickets in an excellent place to generate exactly this sort of incident.