posted 1:11 AM on Sunday Jan 20, 2013
Hey, everyone. I'm posting this everywhere so you might see it on other sites if we're added.
About 30 minutes ago, I was coming back from Tallahassee from a tournament, and I was pulled over. The cops were really nice at first, asked me my name, license (didn't ask for my registration, but it doesn't matter once you read this). They were talking to me about what I had "done" which was, according to them, not slowing down for a red-light'ed squad car (when somebody is pulled over). However, I did slow down, and I was going well under the speed limit, which made no sense to me. While talking to them though, it seemed as if I was going to get off with just a warning and take it easy the rest of the way home. This is where it gets above PG13, so if you're a family person, don't read this part.
Once they ran my license, their demeanor changed INSTANTLY. For those of you that don't know, I have white skin, but I'm %50 black which means in this country I'm considered African-American. As soon as they read that, they asked me what color I was: "Is he a white guy?" "I don't know...HEY, are you hispanic?" I calmly replied "I'm half black and half white". The original officer that came up to my vehicle started using swear words at me, and asked to search my car. I asked if he had a warrant, and he said "I smell marijuana so I can search your car. You sure you haven't been smokin'? I can smell a lot of it." What kinda crap is that? I've never smoked ANYTHING in my life, even cigs. Furthermore, I'm ALLERGIC to it. So I calmly said "Alright, you can search my car."
So now I'm standing with another officer in front of the squad car. He didn't pat me down or ask me anything (which is a little odd, considering they "detected" the presence of marijuana). I looked right at him and I said "I didn't tell the other officer, but I studied law for about a year...He isn't allowed to search my vehicle, is he?" and he said back to me "Well no, not without a warrant UNLESS he smells marijuana...did you give him permission?" I looked at him and said "I asked for a warrant and then he said he smelled marijuana". That's when it hit me that the two searching my car, the Sgt. and his narcotics assbuddy, were racist.
Of course they didn't find anything and I'm VERY shocked they didn't plant any evidence....but the two things they told me, "not slowing down" and now "marijuana", neither of them were mentioned on the ticket they gave me. They fined me over 100 dollars, and the reason on the ticket was "Move Over Act" which means "failure to yield for an emergency vehicle". The thing is, had they not known I was black, they wouldn't have treated me that way, illegally searched my vehicle, lied to my face, etc...What's funny is that the officer I was talking to, in front of the squad car, he told me right to my face "It happens all the time..." like he knew exactly what it was.
I'm extremely upset and I can't afford this ticket. If I had actually done something wrong, I wouldn't be here telling the story and asking for help. Please, I really need help. I don't appreciate racism, as I'm sure nobody else does, but I shouldn't be forced to choose "jail or ticket" just for being black. Please, everybody, can you donate a dollar or two to me? Below you can see a video (to prove I'm not lying) and my paypal. Please help me, please.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71UVAqeTIrQ Paypal: bhillgot_mine@yahoo.com
I would like to return the favor to all those help me in the future, but sadly I've been spending most of my time and money on the site (creating and programming skins).