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Trooper group wants black lawmaker to resign BY CASH MICHAELS BQfUHE CHRONICLE What first started out as a simple traffic stop involving one black state lawmaker and at least three white N.C. State Troopers, has now ballooned into an apparent statewide effort, led by the State Troopers Association, to force the lawmaker to resign from office. In the midst of the fall out, legitimate questions about why it indeed took three troopers to rush to what was just a seatbelt violation, why didn't troopers know how to run legislative license plates, who tipped off a Charlotte TV station about the inci dent, and what, if any, political implications does the incident have? State Rep. Cecil Brockman (D- Guilford] - who was a primary sponsor last March of a bill titled, "Prohibit Discriminatory Profiling," along with fel low Democratic represen tatives Rodney Moore, Jean Farmer-Butterfield and Graig R. Meyer - admitted Monday after noon that he " ... was wrong for not having worn my seat belt" when he was stopped by the State Highway Patrol on Main Street in Archdale on Nov 30. "It was a moment of deep frustration that I could have handled better," the first-term High Point representative wrote on his Facebook page Monday. However, having traveled less than a mile down the road, I was pulled over by not one. but three state troopers. I was treated with suspicion about my identi ty and accused of stealing my own car. All of this was due to a heightened sense of threat felt by the troop ers. The heart of my issue with this incident lies with being treated with suspi cion and being seen as a threat for no other reason I can figure than being black." However, that admis sion of wrong didn t stop an outraged Sgt. Danny Jenkins, president of the N.C. Troopers Association, from blasting Rep. Brockman Monday on the group's website, saying that his behavior during that traffic stop, and "... [state] House tag does not allow you an entitlement to break our laws." "It is shameful for someone of your position to accuse these officers of treating you poorly," Sgt. Jenkins continued, " ... as they were only doing their job, and the video clearly shows that the officers were polite and respectful to you the entire time. Sir, your conduct during this traffic stop would make even your supporters ques tion your honesty and integrity. If you cannot be civil and honest about a simple traffic stop, how can the people you repre sent trust anything you say or do?" After his statement under a section titled "Call to Action," Sgt. Jenkins continues on, " ...that [Brockman's] accusations are lies." "I am calling for all of our trooper and law enforcement supporters to demand his resignation," Jenkins wrote. "He falsely accused a trooper of mis treating him when he was clearly attempting to use his position as a lawmaker to bully the trooper into not issuing a ticket. Is this the type of person that N.C. needs in the State house? I think not. Please share this status to spread then (sic) word." Jenkins finishes his missive with, "Let's make him famous." On that same page is "Contribute to N.C. Troopers" and a donate button. According to news reports, in 1996 the Troopers Association "... agreed to a court order requiring the caller to tell you he or she is a paid solicitor and that the group is not affiliated with the State Highway Patrol," reported WRAL -TV in July 1999, adding that none of the funds goes to the State Highway Patrol. The raw video of the Nov. 30 traffic stop in Archdale from the patrol car dash-cam shows the first-term Democrat from High Point acting annoyed when he is asked for his license and registration (Brockman hands over his license, but indicates that he doesn't have the car reg istration) by Trooper J.D. Allred, and then telling the trooper that he is a state legislator, apparently hop ing that he'll be released with just a warning. "I just think it's amaz ing that you can really write a ticket to a state rep resentative who was literal ly at the [bank] just to here and that you guys literally think that this is any type of, I don't know what you guys think this is doing. This is very frustrating," Brockman is heard saying from behind the driver's seat. Another trooper is seen standing on the passenger side of Rep. Brockman's vehicle looking inside and watching the driver care fully. Interestingly, none of the three troopers knew how to run Brockman's N.C. House issued license plate for a positive identifi cation, having to refer to the vehicle identification number (VIN) inside the driver side windshield instead. The video - which had two minutes of dead audio during Trooper Allred's conversation with Brockman - also showed the representative charging that he would have been treated differently if he were a white legislator. "I'm very pissed off. I think if I was a white repre sentative that you guys would've been like 'ok, sorry sir.'" The trooper, who has been even-tempered and professional up until this point, exhibits apparent exasperation in rejecting the charge, telling Brockman that race had nothing to do with why he was stopped. Trooper Allred continues that because the representative wouldn't pull over right away, he called for extra backup as a precaution. A state highway patrol spokesperson said the extra backup call is standard for "safety reasons." In published reports, Rep. Brockman has said, "This is the same excuse that we hear from law enforcement every single time an innocent black male gets shot and killed. The response by the law enforcement is they felt threatened." Politically, State Republicans have salivated hanging Rep. Brockman out to dry for the incident. N.C. Republican Party Chairman Hassan Harnett joined the political fray, issuing a statement saying, "Our state troopers put their lives on the line every day and deserve more respect (including from our state's elected officials). Even if it means reaching deep within himself, Rep. Brockman should apolo gize to the troopers imme diately." And within minutes of the dash-cam video being aired on WBTV Saturday, state Rep. Justin Burr, the GOP representative from Albemarle, tweeted that Brockman "... should be ashamed of his behavior and accusations. Those state troopers were just doing their jobs." Rep. Burr is the brother of the Highway Patrol's legislative liaison Jarrett Burr, to whom Brockman complained after the inci dent. There is speculation that WBTV was tipped off allegedly because of this connection, and immedi ately filed a Freedom of Information Act request for the tape as a result. Since Gov. McCrory's Republican administration took office, media organi zations have complained that it has taken months, not days, for FOIA requests to be granted, adding further to the specu lation that the Republican response has been quite coordinated. Online, supporters of the troopers blasted Rep. Brockman, saying that his behavior was wrong and he had no business using his legislative position to get out of being ticketed for a seatbelt violation. African-Americans weighing in agreed that what Brockman did was wrong, especially not wearing his seatbelt during the annual "Click it or Ticket" campaign. They also agreed that he was wrong in his demeanor. But it still troubled many that it took three troopers to be involved in the traffic stop, especially given doc umented evidence that North Carolina law enforcement are more like ly to stop young black males than anyone else on the road, but find more ille gal contraband during white traffic stops. And they wholeheart edly disagreed with calls for Rep. Brockman to resign, saying that all he needed to do was just apol ogize for his actions. "No, he shouldn't resign," posted Steve Harrison on Facebook Tuesday, "... and some body from the Trooper's Association needs to explain why a seatbelt vio lation (if they even noticed beforehand) is grounds for a reckless high-speed chase for a block and a half. The trooper driving almost smacked a pickup truck in his haste to run down the "suspect." Submitted photo This is a video still of Rep. Cecil Brockman's Nov. 30 traffic stop by state troop ers in Archdale from a patrol car dash cam. Brockman is a co-sponsor of an anti-racial profiling bill in the N.C. House. 4 United Way A. Brown J. Crocker L. Hayes Cindy Gordineer. President and CEO I I S. Liner ?Mi. ? M. Logemann B. Swerbinsky Cuts from page AI "We will continue to serve the Triad as we have always done," she continued. "We have an excellent team and with the addi tion of James, we're going to continue to impact the residents who are often over looked." Effective Jan. 4 Perry will replace Don Williams, who has served as interim presi dent and chief executive since February 2014. Before recently relocating to Winston Salem, Perry served as chief executive of the Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center for ten years. During his tenure, he managed to lead the center through the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. After being selected from three final ists following a national search. Perry mentioned he is confident he has the abili ty and training to lead the organization into the future. "After asking around and doing research on the Urban League. I knew right away I wanted to be involved," Perry stated. During a recent discussion with The Chronicle, Perry said his goal is to build on a strong foundation the organization has already laid out. Increasing job opportunities for resi dents in the Triad and improving race rela tions in regards to criminal justice issues both rank high on the newly appointed president's to do list. "We really want the community to know that the Urban League is a real foun dation for this community." he continued. "As long as this community is around, the Urban League will be around serving this community and providing for its needs." When asked about the proposed budget changes. Perry assured members once he begins to roll out some of the initiatives he has planned, a number of other organiza tions will be willing to support the Urban League. "The United Way is just one of many organizations who are interested in sup porting the Urban League," he said. "As we progress this will simply just be a bump in the road." The United Way is scheduled to make a final decision on the budget changes dur ing a board meeting today (Dec. 17). The Urban League will be notified of the final changes no more than 48 hours following the meeting. "There are a number of large and suc cessful branches of the Urban League across the country that receive little to no funding from the United Way." said Perry. "I'm confident we're going to be able to do really great work." \X> Wake Forest* ,.p^P.?,#?Dcosr Baptist Health BestHealth" January community health seminars, screenings and events Visit WakeHealth.edu/BestHealth for class descriptions and other events. Events are FREE of charge and require registration, unless otherwise noted. TUESDAY, JANUARY 5 Mike Wells on Estate Planning Basics \ 1:30 to 2:30 pm A Healthier Plan for Weight Loss 6 to 7 pm Wake Forest Baptist Health Medical Plaza-Country Club, 4610 Country Club Road, Winston-Salem THURSDAY, JANUARY 7 Common Hand Conditions 2 to 3 pm Wake Forest Baptist Health Medical Plaza-Country Club, 4610 Country Club Road, Winston-Salem SATURDAY, JANUARY 9 Zumba \ 10 to 11 am Wake Forest Baptist Health Medical Plaza-Country Club, 4610 Country Club Road, Winston-Salem MONDAY, JANUARY 11 Lunch & Learn: Atrial Fibrillation: ? Causes & Effects \ Noon to 1:30 pm Wake Forest Baptist Health Piedmont Plaza I, Kitty Hawk Room, 1920 West First St., Winston-Salem Delicious Soups \ 5 to 6:30 pm Wake Forest Baptist Health Medical Plaza-Country Club, 4610 Country Club Road, Winston-Salem THURSDAY, JANUARY 14 Aging in America: Geriatrics Noon to 1 pm Wake Forest Baptist Health Medical Plaza-Country Club, 4610 Country Club Road, Winston-Salem WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20 Balance Screening \ 5:30 to 7:30 pm Wake Forest Baptist Health Piedmont Plaza I, Kitty Hawk Room, 1920 West First St., Winston-Salem THURSDAY, JANUARY 21 Yoga for a Healthy Back \ 4 to 5 pm Sunrise Yoga Studio, 6000 Meadowbrook Mall Court, Suite 1, Clemmons SATURDAY, JANUARY 23 POUND: Rockout. Workout.? 10 to 11 am Wake Forest Baptist Health Medical Plaza-Country Club, 4610 Country Club Road, Winston-Salem MONDAY, JANUARY 25 Introduction to Wellness Challenge 6 to 7 pm Wake Forest Baptist Health Medical Plaza-Country Club, 4610 Country Club Road, Winston-Salem WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27 Stop Joint Pain in 2016 5:30 to 7 pm Wake Forest Baptist Health Davie Medical Center, Plaza 1, 4th floor, Conference Rooms 1 and 2, Highway 801 N, I-40 (Exit 180), Bermuda Run SATURDAY, JANUARY 30 Cooking on a Budget \ 1 to 2:30 pm Wake Forest Baptist Health Medical Plaza-Country Club, 4610 Country Club Road, Winston-Salem INCLEMENT WEATHER POLICY: If Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools are closed due to weather, BestHealth classes will be canceled. To register, ceil or visit: 336-713-BEST (2378) \ Wak*Health.?du/B?stH?atth A
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
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