Racist Police Stop in Pensacola!!!!

Floridatexan wrote:
With all due respect to female police, that officer was unsure of herself in the situation, and it showed.  I did not hear her inform the driver of the reason for the stop...she only said she had run his tag.  If his dark-tinted windows was the reason for her running a check on his tag, why didn't she just say so?  Instead, she became argumentative.  I didn't see any infraction on the part of the driver.

Floridatexan wrote:
With all due respect to female police, that officer was unsure of herself in the situation, and it showed.  I did not hear her inform the driver of the reason for the stop...she only said she had run his tag.  If his dark-tinted windows was the reason for her running a check on his tag, why didn't she just say so?  Instead, she became argumentative.  I didn't see any infraction on the part of the driver.

2seaoat wrote:I am consistent and correct that this officer once a citizen immediately told the officer that he wants a supervisor, and that he will give his license to the supervisor should have said per training that "sir, I will ask you to stay in your vehicle, and I will go call for a supervisor".   Instead, she did not answer his reasonable questions with anything which approached the fourth amendment requirement of probable cause, which resulted in his request for a supervisor and she was argumentative and was flailing around being strident with a citizen on the street who was watching and alternating with arguing with the vehicle driver.  She was escalating a situation instead of descalating the situation.  She will be reprimanded.  

In regard to me arguing just for the sake of arguing.  Nope.  This situation was clear.  People tried to make this about race, about the driver being a commissioner, about the officer being a woman, and about citizen rights being subservient to the discretion of an officer........it was none of the above.  It was about an officer who did not follow training protocol and who did not act professionally.  Now if you can find one inconsistency in my positions now or last year in the Reese case where I supported the officer who was following training guidelines in instructing somebody to stay in a vehicle where officer safety requires the same....again.....go for it......the law requires consistency and continuity not emotional hyperbole.

TEOTWAWKI wrote:He was just upset this young lady didn't recognize his famous self. Probably figured a senior officer would know him and stopped the ticketing process till someone that respected his highness showed up and let his majesty off with a nervous laugh and a humble bow to his authoritay....

RealLindaL wrote:Seaoat, I think you know I've agreed with and supported you on many issues over the years, but this time I really, really can't.  Despite your seemingly desperate need to always be right, sometimes you just aren't, my friend.

Following is the text of an email entitled "Lumon May" which I sent to my district's commissioner, Grover Robinson, tonight.  I hope others who agree will speak up and let their thoughts be known,  not just on this forum.

I have just watched the entire video of Mr. May's traffic stop on pnj.com (and also perused all the reader comments thereon - you may want to do so yourself if you haven't already; it's an education).  But my own opinion was formed before reading any of those comments, and here it is, for what it's worth:

Regardless of any question regarding the validity of the stop and/or whether or not the plate number was mis-entered by the officer, Mr. May's behavior was over-the-top outrageous, appalling and shameful --  not to mention illegal -- and aside from any enforcement action (which so far is not evident) he should be asked to resign from the Escambia BOCC forthwith.   How can anyone retain faith in this man's ability to lead the rest of us, after viewing the complete lack of judgment and restraint he displayed??   He should be thoroughly ashamed of himself and the way he treated that officer, and I would not hesitate to tell him that to his face.  

Further, if May is going to imply that racism/profiling is the reason for his being 'harassed,' and considering his immature, hair-trigger reaction to such perception, it's just one more reason he is not fit to sit on the board that governs this entire county.  

And where were his papers?  Why couldn't he produce them, and isn't, in fact, the lack of such papers (in violation of the law) the likely true reason for his extreme behavior?  After all, with some people the best defense is a nasty offense.  But that's not even the main point, as you know.  It's his childish, unreasonable, bullying (and, again, illegal) behavior.

If the man doesn't resign on his own  -- which would be the honorable thing to do, seeing as how he has tainted his reputation with the public by his horrible behavior -- I hope the rest of the board will stand up and have the guts to ask him to do so.

The only good thing I can even think to say here is thank heaven Lumon May doesn't represent District 4.

NOTE:  If indeed, as someone stated here, May did eventually supply papers to one of the male officers -- and if they were complete (registration, license, insurance) -- then he lied to the original officer when he said he didn't have his registration and insurance with him.  Why?? All in all, there's just NO valid excuse for May's behavior, and I, for one, am now terrified to think how he would behave in a genuine crisis.  He needs to GO.

2seaoat wrote:All in all, there's just NO valid excuse for May's behavior, and I, for one, am now terrified to think how he would behave in a genuine crisis.  He needs to GO.

Just like the tax issues on Pensacola Beach, I was one voice against a 100.  I clearly set forth the concept of Equitable Title and 99 of those 100 commenters said I was a fool and I was wrong.  I was not.  I am not wrong here.

Justice Scalia and the Supreme Court have been scaling back the exceptions to the 4th amendment exceptions concerning automobiles.   Just like the British who without probable cause could stop, search and seize a citizen.  Our founding fathers felt so strongly about this that they created an amendment.  When a law abiding citizen is treated like a criminal when he asks to speak to a supervisor because the officer cannot articulate probable cause and was argumentative once the citizen sternly objected to his being seized by an arbitrary, capricious, and absolute fishing expedition.  The fact that no citation was issued is proof of the same, and every citizen must stand their ground when the government is entirely out of control  and has citizens acclimated to the abuse of government.  We do not deserve the liberty so many have fought for when so many want to throw citizen rights under the bus for subjugation to improper government actions.

If an officer in my town did that stop, male or female....I would have been Mr. May.  I have posted where I, like Mr. May have asked an officer who was wrong to take me to jail.  Thoreau's Civil Disobedience starts with Citizens not taking governmental abuse.  This has nothing to do with Race, nor did Mr. May at anytime use his position or his race to defend his rights which are extended to every citizen.  Your Virginia upbringing is peeking out from your outrage as you try to make this about race.....it is not about race.  Listen to the tape, this citizen clearly stated that he had been stopped numerous times without reason and that he wants a supervisor who he will turn over his DL.  Now you are trying to interject some type of sexism when a citizen exercises his rights to request a supervisor and the request like race has nothing to do with the sex of the officer.

Unfortunately, many who are attacking Mr. May who was never charged with anything.....because he broke NO law, are angry that a citizen would actually not have a right to speak their mind to authority.  What a sad day for America when we have become compliant sheep to unauthorized intrusions and may every citizen behave EXACTLY like Mr. May in requesting a supervisor where an officer is argumentative and on a fishing expedition.  Shame on you for making this about race or sexism.  It is easy to prove me wrong......show me the violation of law Mr. May was guilty of........shame on you for writing such a bigoted letter suggesting race had anything to do with a citizen demanding to speak to a supervisor......was it not Virginia the place you grew up where the Loving case finally allowed people to marry despite their color....I suppose with folks in your family being part of the Criminal Justice system you cannot help making this about race, than abuse by the criminal justice system....Your letter is outrageous and cowardly.

2seaoat wrote: It was the way he acted-disrespectful and angry and refusing to cooperate. You should be ashamed of yourself for supporting that behavior.

Again, T posted video after video of citizens standing up for their right under the 2nd amendment to carry a weapon......they were far more strident and in your face than this driver was yet people called these citizens patriots.

If my daughter was the officer, I would ask her one question, are the citizens of this country due the respect our founding fathers expected to freely move about without being seized without a warrant, and when this citizen who was seized asked for a supervisor, why did you not say yes sir, stay in your vehicle and I will go to the squad and call your request to my supervisor.......but no she stridently argued with a motorist escalating who was exercising his constitutional rights just like a person exercising their second amendment rights.   If this driver said I am Mr. Bigshot and I have this position, I might tend to believe he was wrong, but he clearly NEVER did anything which would suggest he was just a citizen.

What saddens me most is this sheep like reaction that when stopped a person loses their constitutional rights.  I am one of the most respectful people to LEO.  However, I have NEVER quivered in their presence when I believe they are wrong, and I have always stood my ground.   This man did nothing wrong except be a commissioner and be black where people are trying to make it about something it was not.

There is absolutely nothing this man did that would change my vote, nor would I write a letter insinuating this was about race or position.   This has been a shameful jump to conclusions which sadly reflects on the writers more than the commissioner.  Where some see disrespect by the motorist, I see complete loss of control and professionalism by the officer who does not extend the respect to a citizen which her training if followed gives her the presumption of being in the right.....she was wrong.  She will get a slip in her file.