Friday, March 03, 2000
Cops accused of racial profiling
Waynesville mayor wants chief to resign
BY SHEILA McLAUGHLIN
The Cincinnati Enquirer
WAYNESVILLE — Accusations that two officers pulled over a car, drew their guns and handcuffed the occupants because they were black has spurred a sheriff's investigation and prompted the mayor to call for the police chief's job.
Mayor Charles Sanders, who is African-American, said Saturday's incident typifies how village police treat blacks, at a time when racial profiling is being criticized nationally.
“I think these types of things need to stop. This is not Natchez, Miss., in 1955,” he said Thursday.
Village Manager Kevin Harper has asked for an independent investigation by the Warren County Sheriff's Office into allegations that officers Ryan Stanaford and Marc Walters used racial profiling to stop the car driven by 19-year-old Saul Plaza, of Monroe, a soldier at Fort Campbell, Ky.
The officers, who work part time in this northern Warren County village of 2,000 residents best known for its antiques shops and an annual sauerkraut festival, remain on patrol duty during the investigation.
“It's very bad for police morale, particularly to have the mayor act as judge and jury before the investigation is complete,” Mr. Harper said.
“On the other hand, it's important that we reassure the public we do not engage in racial profiling and we don't approve of it. We will have somebody make a full investigation. If the response requires us to do something, we'll do that.”
Police Chief Allen Carter denied that racial profiling occurred.
“In that area, there are not a whole lot of street lights. It's hard to tell from a distance what color anybody is. We don't have a record of pulling over a lot of black people. We don't have a record of citations for black people,” he said.
Dwenton Jackson, 19, of Middletown, a passenger in Mr. Plaza's car, said police were watching them, circling the block where they played basketball in a park earlier that evening. The three high-school friends were visiting a white friend at a Third Street apartment.
“We were three black guys in a small white town. They were pulling us over because we're black guys.”
Accounts of the incident vary.
According to the officers' statements to their chief, they stopped Mr. Plaza's car at 12:26 a.m. for cracked tail lights, a loud exhaust system, improper display of the temporary license plate and broken turn signals after following the vehicle for a few blocks.
The officers told Chief Carter the car also stopped at the intersection of Third and High streets, even though there were no stop signs, Mr. Harper said.
“The driver got out of the vehicle and approached the police cruiser. He said something about a gun and jumped back into the car. There is a discrepancy about what was said,” Mr. Harper said, declining to elaborate.
The officers radioed for backup from county deputies, drew their guns and approached the car, ordering Mr. Plaza, who is biracial, and his passengers, Mr. Jackson and DeAngelo Harrington, 18, of Middletown, out of the vehicle.
Mr. Jackson contends that the officers already had their guns drawn when Mr. Plaza opened the car door and looked back.
“The only thing Saul said is "Oh my God! They've got guns!' They already drew on us,” Mr. Jackson said.
After the men were handcuffed, officers Stanaford and Walters called for a drug dog from Caesar Creek State Park to check the car, but no drugs or guns were found, Mr. Harper said.
“They came in (the cruiser) and asked us "Which one of you have the dope?' We said "What dope? We don't smoke dope,' and they said "There's stuff on the floor of the car,'” Mr. Jackson recalled.
He said he tried to explain to the officer that he and Mr. Harrington had just passed drug screens for their jobs at AK Steel in Middletown.
After the search, the men were uncuffed and allowed to go without being charged or cited for traffic violations, Mr. Harper said.
One of the officers began writing a traffic citation, but voided it after Mr. Plaza said he was in the Army and would get into trouble if he received a ticket, Mr. Harper said.
Mr. Plaza returned to Fort Campbell on Monday and could not be reached for comment.,
His stepfather, William Johnson, said the family had contacted a lawyer and plans to file a civil-rights suit against village police.
“Saul's really upset about it. Me and my wife are white. We don't want to believe stuff like this happens until it happens to you,” he said.
Mayor Sanders, who is running for Congress in the 2nd District, became involved after the three young men told him their story. He accompanied them to the police department on Monday to file a formal complaint with Chief Carter.
The investigation isn't the first time sheriff's officials have been asked to look into allegations of racial profiling by village police.
Two years ago, the mayor's sister, Marjorie Oliver, complained that her children were being pulled over, tailed by police or cited when they drove through town to visit their uncle.
The sheriff's office found that the allegations were unfounded.
Mayor Sanders said he's satisfied that the sheriff's office is looking into the latest complaint.
“I think any objective review will produce satisfactory results. But to say nothing happens is pure bunk. It's a lie,” he said.
Mr. Jackson wants justice.
“To have a few bad cops off the street — that would mean a lot to me. It's not right.”
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