F’ville police response to ‘driving while black’

Thu, 01/03/2008 - 10:10am
By: Letters to the ...

After reading the letter to the editor written by Wendy L. Scales-Johnson, I was concerned that officers in Fayette County would treat people the way that Mrs. Scales-Johnson described. I also was concerned that, since Ingles Grocery Store is located in the city, Fayetteville police officers may have been involved.

I began looking into the incident and located an incident report indicating that the Fayetteville Police Department was involved in the incident. However, the facts of the incident were considerably different from the way Mrs. Scales-Johnson described them.

This was not an issue of driving while black.

The officer made contact with the first vehicle parked near the school buses, not driving by the store or on Ga. Highway 92.

This is relevant because both the city and the county have recently experienced thefts of catalytic converters from vehicles. A similar incident occurred behind Ingles just over a week ago.

The officer noticed a person was walking around the outside of the vehicle. It was about 10:30 p.m. The officer approached the man and asked him what he was doing parked there and walking around the vehicle.

The man explained to the officer that he was smoking and did not want to smoke in the car. The officer ran an inquiry on the man and found that he was wanted by Fayette County for violation of probation.

While talking with the first man, a second vehicle came around the buses, saw the officer and tried to veer away from him. The officer motioned for the vehicle to stop. The vehicle was being operated by Mrs. Scales-Johnson’s son.

After being asked why he was driving around the buses, Mr. Scales indicated he saw his friend there and was coming over to speak with him.

The officer said that Mr. Scales was nervous. Neither the contact with the driver of the first vehicle nor the driver and occupant of the second vehicle had anything to do with a traffic-related stop. It was because the vehicles were in an area where we had experienced recent thefts, and it was suspicious that the vehicles were parked or driving near the school buses.

Other officers arrived at the location, due to one of the persons being wanted. During the incident, the initial officer asked for consent to search Mr. Scales’ vehicle to see if he had any tools or catalytic converter parts in his vehicle.

Mr. Scales and his passenger were asked to exit the vehicle and the vehicle was searched. The officer had all of three people stand on the pavement next to vehicle as he searched the vehicle.

This is often done to protect the officer(s) while they are investigating an incident.

The officer found a couple of flakes of marijuana in the vehicle. Once the officer found the flakes of marijuana, the officer showed the marijuana to Mr. Scales.

Mr. Scales indicated that the marijuana was not his and his father had been driving the vehicle. The officer went back to the vehicle to check to see if he had missed any additional marijuana. After searching the vehicle a second time, the officer allowed Mr. Scales and his passenger to leave.

The driver of the first vehicle was arrested. The officer then asked the man if he wanted someone to pick up his vehicle, instead of towing the vehicle and the man having to pay a towing and storage fee.

The man elected to have his girlfriend pick up the vehicle. A call was placed to the girlfriend and she came and picked up the car.

While I understand that Mrs. Scales-Johnson would be concerned and upset if her sons were stopped and treated like she described, I did not see any evidence that her sons or the man in the first vehicle were mistreated in any way.

To the contrary, the officer saw something suspicious in an area where we had experienced recent criminal activity, at a time when people should not be parked there, and the officer made contact with the person to see what he was doing in the area.

As he is doing that, another vehicle arrives and he stops that vehicle and finds that the persons in that vehicle are meeting with the person in the first vehicle.

After checking whether the first man is wanted, he finds there is an active warrant for him.

After a legal consent search for a legitimate reason (the search for tools and parts) the officer finds a very small amount of marijuana. He speaks to the driver about the marijuana, elects not to charge him and releases the driver and his passenger.

The officer offers and arranges for the vehicle of the person who has been arrested to be picked up instead of towed.

It doesn’t appear to me that the officer considered the race of the individuals at all. He simply was doing what we expect of our police officers, making sure our citizens’ and businesses’ properties are safe.

The officers at the Fayetteville Police Department work very hard to treat everyone with respect and courtesy, while balancing the need to protect our citizens and businesses from criminal activity.

Steven D. Heaton

Chief of Police

Fayetteville, Ga.

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Violetsunshine's picture
Submitted by Violetsunshine on Sat, 01/05/2008 - 9:25pm.

Public needed to know true facts. I heard several comments this week about this letter. Keep up the good work for the citizens!
Most of us really appreciate you!


kjam's picture
Submitted by kjam on Sat, 01/05/2008 - 9:05pm.

I also wanted to tell Chief Heaton "Thank You", yes this letter was written in a professional manner. Once again, thank you, your Officers, Detectives, School Resource Officers, Office workers, etc... for doing your job. For those of you who are complaining, until you have either been in law enforcement, worked shifs, etc... be glad they do their jobs. FCSO, FVPD, and other law enforcement personnel go through alot, so again, if you only knew or had to walk in their shoes, stop complaining. The day may come when you will be looking for their help, and I promise if that ever comes, you will change your tune.


Submitted by skyspy on Sat, 01/05/2008 - 7:32pm.

Why are you and Sheriff Johnson always "hat'n" on red cars?

Submitted by libertees on Fri, 01/04/2008 - 9:51pm.

Chief Heaton,

Thank you from the good Fayette county citizens that have the best interest of our entire community and not only our children (who may or may not tell the whole truth all the time like they have done since they were born) for keeping us safe. It is a sign of maturity when we see what is true and what is not, like when they tried things when they were 4 years old and we all remember being real parents. I would like to say thank you for such a wonderful and professional response. I hope that she will now go back and question her child for the truth instead of looking for reasons to be a bad parent. It's a tough job and everyone but her seems to know it. Great job and thank you again. You are our last chance to keep Fayette Great.

Submitted by Gravy on Fri, 01/04/2008 - 3:37pm.

Cops in Fayetteville will pull you over for no reason regardless of your race. I am white and have lived in Fayetteville since 1992 and have been pulled over at least 6 times, that i can think of off of the top of my head, for no reason. How do I know there was no reason for it? Because I was not cited for anything. While the majority of these stops were made by Fayette County Sheriff's patrol, there were a couple made by Fayetteville PD. They just like throwing thier little power around. After all, who are you gonna complain to? The cops? LOL

Submitted by skyspy on Sat, 01/05/2008 - 7:25pm.

You mean that you have only received warnings?? What color is your car??

I have been discriminated against. This guy has only received warnings and I have been targeted because of my red car?! I knew it, our local cops are red carist.

Richard Hobbs grow a pony-tail so the judges and cops will be afraid (I mean have respect for you) when we go to court. Man I knew I was being picked on, and I am always polite to them too. I never give them a hard time for doing their job. What a load......

Submitted by sageadvice on Sun, 01/06/2008 - 7:39am.

del.

Submitted by sageadvice on Sun, 01/06/2008 - 7:39am.

They don't like young guys in Mustangs, either. Gals, Ok.

BPR's picture
Submitted by BPR on Sun, 01/06/2008 - 2:40pm.

Why don't I rent a car and get one of my younger pretty friends to speed and see if she gets a ticket? That's what I was saying- Do you think that pretty girls that drive Mustangs that speed get tickets?

_______________________________
"Hope Changes Everything"


BPR's picture
Submitted by BPR on Sun, 01/06/2008 - 11:29am.

How do you know all of this?

______________________________
"Hope Changes Everything"


Submitted by sageadvice on Sun, 01/06/2008 - 2:36pm.

You say, how do I know all of this?"
All of what?
I suspect that you are calling me a liar! In a "Nice way" of course.

Submitted by thebeaver on Thu, 01/03/2008 - 4:20pm.

My thanks to the FPD for the fine job they do every day to protect us.

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