A Florida police officer who pulled over a Black driver in Miami-Dade County is currently on desk duty after he told the man “this is how you guys get killed out here” during a traffic stop last week.
The driver, who reportedly was in his mom’s vehicle, was pulled over for an alleged traffic violation. The officer aggressively opened and closed the driver-side door during the confrontation, telling the driver he wouldn’t make it to work that day before also throwing in the threatening statement as the man recorded the encounter on his cellphone.
The driver asked the officer to repeat what he said, which he did not do before walking to his police motorcycle and writing a citation.
The officer was reportedly placed on desk duty as the police department reviews body camera footage along with the other evidence during the stop.
More about the confrontation with video can be found here.
Opinion: Florida just can’t stop showing how racist the state is. This officer clearly didn’t have the temperament to hold any authority, especially in law enforcement. These officers, especially in Florida, are a dime a dozen. No one should expect stiff punishment for this officer in a state that doesn’t even severely prosecute hate crimes against Black people. This officer will likely return to pulling people over with out-of-control behavior after the “investigation” concludes. If Florida implemented transparency to build trust between the community and law enforcement, it would have a public database that shows officers’ complaint records like other cities in the U.S. He doesn’t deserve desk duty, he deserves termination.
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