| Submit your comments on this article |
| -Lurid Crime Tales- |
| NC legislator says troopers accused him of stealing car because he's black |
| 2015-12-14 |
| [NEWSOBSERVER] State Rep. Cecil Brockman says state troopers accused him of driving a stolen car during a traffic stop, and he suspects the questioning was because he's black. Brockman, a High Point Democrat, is now facing criticism from Republicans after Charlotte TV station WBTV broadcast video of the incident. In the video, Brockman tells the troopers he's a state representative and that he's "pissed off" about being stopped. His BMW sedan has a special license plate identifying him as a member of the state House. Neither Brockman nor the troopers mention accusations of a stolen car in the video. But one segment of the troopers' conversation with Brockman, totaling about two minutes, isn't audible in the video. That portion carries in-car audio instead of picking up audio from Brockman's car. Brockman says that is when questioning about a stolen vehicle occurred. The audio does later record Brockman suggesting that his race is a factor in the stop, and the trooper replies "that has absolutely nothing to do with it." The officers check Brockman's vehicle identification number after he tells them he doesn't have his vehicle registration with him. The trooper says he stopped Brockman because he wasn't wearing a seat belt, and the video ends with the trooper handing him a ticket for that violation. After the traffic stop, Brockman complained to the State Highway Patrol's liaison at the legislature, Jarrett Burr, and he requested dashcam video of the incident. He says he also contacted the director of the Highway Patrol. Brockman said he never received a reply, and he thinks that the video was "leaked" to WBTV. The station reported that it obtained the video through a public records request. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #2 I believe we've all seen this before. |
| Posted by: gorb 2015-12-14 09:27 |
| #1 "Street Cred" |
| Posted by: Frank G 2015-12-14 09:09 |