Discrimination based on skin color is never acceptable. Unfortunately, this practice occurs too frequently, particularly among those in positions of authority, such as police officers. In Florida, an officer stopped a woman driving her car, citing race as the reason for the stop. To his surprise, he later discovered that the woman he had been confrontational with was actually a judge.
The above footage is from the perspective of the Florida officer in question’s body camera. He can be seen approaching a vehicle with a black woman in the driver’s seat for a routine traffic stop. Before asking for the woman’s license and registration, he immediately begins to get aggressive with her, even saying phrases like “you people” when referring to Black people.
Apparently, she was driving recklessly for driving five miles under the speed limit in a 35-mile-per-hour zone, endangering both her life and the lives of those around her. Rightfully so, she was confused and promptly began asking questions about the citation. While it may have seemed as though the woman was being insubordinate to the officer, it’s very clear that she knows exactly how the law works.
While the officer continues to be belligerent, routinely reminding the woman that she is going to get a citation, the conversation delves into what she is wearing: a robe. It’s then revealed that the reason she knows so much about the law is because she is in fact a judge. At this moment, the officer’s manner of speech changes completely, now changing his previous questions to, “Why didn’t you just say you were a judge?” It wasn’t long after this that he decided that instead of a citation, he would let her go with a warning.
I’m glad that the woman kept her occupation a secret until the very end, as this highlighted the racial bias behind the traffic stop. Many commenters on the video echoed this sentiment, with one stating, “This is a bad cop who needs to be fired and never re-hired.” At the end of the video, it is revealed that the officer was suspended after the body camera footage was released, following a complaint filed by the judge against the officer’s department. Hopefully, this is a lesson for other officers who use their power to harass people.
