An Georgia man said he was pulled over by Alabama police for what he calls a case of “DWB” (driving while Black). He was then put through a humiliating rigmarole over two seemingly false accusations that led to nothing but a warning. He took to TikTok to speak up about his experience and how he managed to avoid being arrested.
Rich (TikTok/user3776808110208) had been driving from Alabama to Atlanta when he admits he rode the white line (though argues it wasn’t for very long). At that point, he was pulled over by a police officer. One of the officers brought a drug-sniffing dog to the scene and the dog alerted police to something, which gave them “probable cause” to search his vehicle.
Rich was headed to work at the time and dressed in his suit. He made a phone call and told them he’d be “30 minutes late” while explaining what was happening. Rich also tried to reach his lawyer but couldn’t, so he stayed on the line to make it seem like he was still talking.
“They called for backup…” Rich wrote in the caption of his video. He argues it was because he was a “big muscular guy” weighing over 200lbs. Pretty soon, multiple officers arrive on the scene behind the first officer’s patrol vehicle. He asks the officer, “Why are all these people coming?”
After the first video, Rich continues the conversation with one of the officers. They had him wait a whole hour until they searched the vehicle and Rich. However, they could only search outside the vehicle because Rich refused a pat-down and to hand over his keys.
Part two of his video shows officer after officer pulling away from the scene. He gestures to them and says, “Look at this! Now they’re leaving after making me wait all this time!” At least 4 patrol vehicles are leaving the scene.
After the humiliating incident, Rich said that police found nothing after a search of his vehicle and that the drug dog was “wrong.” Police claim Rich was riding the white line for 30 seconds, and that’s why they stopped him in the first place. By the end, he’d just been given a warning—not even a ticket.
The Internet reacts to Rich’s profiling by police
Given the situation, the humiliation, and the fact that it all amounted to nothing, many people online suggested hiring a lawyer. “Sue them,” reads one of the most liked comment on his TikTok video.
While he did try to reach out to his lawyer, it seems Rich is listening to that advice. In the caption of his second video, Rich wrote for viewers to reach out to him if they know a “good attorney in Alabama who handles stuff like this.”
Rich also answered questions in the comment section. “I counted at least four cars, dude, what in the world did you do?” Rich responded that it was because of his size and that his “4th Amendment rights” were violated, and “they called some big cornbread fed country boys to the rescue.”
In the comment section, anyone who sided with the police was ridiculed. When someone shared they loved their “brothers and sisters in blue,” a commenter asked them if they liked tasting “original flavored boot or do you season yours.”
It’s clear from how Rich handled the situation and his proactive approach that he likely saved his life.
