"A highway patrolman has been suspended after he threatened to use a Taser during a traffic stop on an NFL player who seemed to be cooperative.
Dashcam footage shows South Carolina Highway Patrol Lance Cpl. R.S. Salter pulling over Sam Montgomery, who was driving 89 mph in a 55 mph zone.
Montgomery, a 6-foot-3, 262-pound defensive lineman who recently signed with the Cincinnati Bengals, appeared calm throughout the stop.
In the video, obtained by the Associated Press, Salter, a 14 year veteran of the force, orders Montgomery out of his vehicle and informs him he is under arrest.
“Spread your feet. Spread your feet. Wider, wider, wider,” Salter barks.
“Reach out, palms up,” he yells twice.
Montgomery seems to be complying with Salter’s commands but appears to have trouble keeping up with their rapid-fire pace.
“Sir, if you cannot follow my orders, next thing you’re going to get is the Taser,” Salter says.
“Whoa, I’m not trying to cause any problems,” Montgomery replies.
“Spread your feet, palms up toward the sky, behind your back, do not move,” says Salter, as he slaps cuffs on Montgomery and informs him “25 over, you get arrested.”
“Sorry, I didn’t know,” Montgomery says.
Tension cleared after that point, as Salter tells Montgomery, “you could have killed somebody.”
Montgomery apologizes and says that he was trying to get home to visit his mother.
“Bad deal,” Montgomery says later. “Trying to get home. I’ll take the lick. I was wrong.”
Salter offered to come to court to help the player with his ticket.
Nevertheless, Montgomery spent the night in jail and was released the next morning on $355 bond.
Salter was suspended following a “self-initiated” internal investigation.
“Salter’s behavior during the traffic stop of Mr. Montgomery was not representative of professionalism displayed by our troopers and officers every day around the state,” the South Carolina highway patrol said in a statement released Monday." [Watch video here]
Good job Sam, you knew "the rules".
I suspect, though, that if you weren't a professional football player, your fate-- and that of the ignoramus who ticketed and arrested you--- would have been a bit different.
Just think, even knowing that the dash- camera was on and running this trooper acted the ass. Imagine if there was no camera watching his movements.
Finally, adventures in "post racial" America.
The first story comes from Atlanta.
"Atlanta CBS affiliate morning show host Michelle Burdo apologized Tuesday morning for using the term “colored woman” during a segment the day before involving a black hair expert.
While discussing hair treatment on Monday’s episode of Better Mornings Atlanta, Burdo approached her guest and said, “Let me tell you something. I’m not a colored woman but I have kinky hair just like her and when you straighten it every day, it’s…”
“Healthier,” the guest said.
The off-handed use of “colored woman” spurred some controversy online, prompting Burdo to apologize Tuesday morning on-the-air: “Yesterday, I made a pretty insensitive remark during one of our segments here on Better Mornings Atlanta. I apologize,” she said. “Once again, I truly want to say from the bottom of my heart that I really am sorry about that comment. I made that comment in reference to my hair color but I used an inappropriate term.” [Source]
Don't worry Ms. Southern White Lady. It's all good. As long as there was no malice or racist intent in your heart. Only you and your god know if this was a Freudian slip or not.
The next story comes from New Jersey.
" The first female black student-president of an expensive New Jersey prep school was forced to quit from the role after snaps of her mocking her "typical white classmates" emerged online.
Maya Peterson resigned from the prestigious position at Lawrenceville School after images of her holding a hockey stick, while wearing L.L. Bean duck boots and a Yale sweatshirt, went viral.
Using the hashtags #romney2016, #confederate and #peakedinhighschool alongside the series of photographs, she also joked that she was representative of a typical "Lawrenceville boi."
Peterson was called before administrators at the $53,000-a-year school - believed to be the most expensive in the country - in March, according to Buzzfeed.
It came some three weeks after she uploaded the pictures to social media sites.
Dean of Students Nancy Thomas told the Lawrenceville student paper that the images were "offensive".
Nancy Thomas told the Lawrenceville student paper that Peterson's comments were 'not fitting of a student leader.'
"It was not fitting of a student leader to make comments mocking members of the community," Thomas added.
Warned that she would face serious disciplinary action if she didn't resign from her presidential role, Peterson had no other choice but to quit.
But, she told Buzzzfeed that she was unrepentant for the stunt - which she claimed was a joke in response to criticism about her senior photos, where she and 10 black friends raised their fists in a "Black Power" salute.
"I understand why I hurt people's feelings, but I didn't become president to make sure rich white guys had more representation on campus".
Now that is one "uppity Negro". Maya, in "post-racial" America, even wealthy white folks are victims. You just can't go around offending them.
Lesson learned.
