*Tyler Perry says he was racially profiled by the Atlanta Police Department.
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The filmmaker explained in a long Facebook posting Sunday that he was stopped by cops soon after leaving his Atlanta studios by cops who had no idea who he was, and he felt the situation could’ve gotten completely out of control had another officer not arrived.
Read Tyler’s post its entirety below:
A few days before President Obama was supposed to speak at my studio, I was leaving the studio, headed to the airport. Most times when I leave the studio I have an unmarked escort. Other times I constantly check in my rearview mirror to be sure that I’m not being followed. It’s a safety precaution that my security team taught me. As I got to an intersection, I made a left turn from the right lane and was pulled over by two police officers. I pulled the car over and put it in park. Then, I let the window down and sat in the car waiting for the officer. The officer came up to the driver’s door and said that I made an illegal turn. I said, “I signaled to get into the turning lane, then made the turn because I have to be sure I’m not being followed.” He said, “why do you think someone would be following you?”
Before I could answer him, I heard a hard banging coming from the passenger window. I had never been in this position before so I asked the officer who was at my window what was going on and why is someone banging on the window like that. He said, “let your window down, let your window down. Your windows are tinted.” As I let down the passenger window, there was another officer standing on the passenger side of the car. He said, “what is wrong with you?” The other officer said to him, “he thinks he’s being followed.” Then, the second officer said, “why do you think someone is following you? What is wrong with you?”
Before I could answer the officer on the passenger side, the one on the driver’s side had reached into the car and started pulling on the switch that turns the car on and off, saying, “put your foot on the brake, put your foot on the brake!” I was so confused as to what he was doing, or what he thought he was doing. It looked like he was trying to pull the switch out of the dashboard. I finally realized that he thought that switch was the key, so I told him that it wasn’t the key he was grabbing. I reached down into the cup holder to get the key, not realizing that the key had a black leather strap on it. As I grabbed it they both tensed up and I dropped it as I heard my mother’s voice from when I was a little boy.
My mother would always say to me, “if you get stopped by the police, especially if they are white policemen, you say ‘yes sir’ and ‘no sir’, and if they want to take you in, you go with them. Don’t resist, you hear me? Don’t make any quick moves, don’t run, you just go.” My mother was born in 1945 into a segregated hotbed town in rural Louisiana. She had known of many colored men at the time who were lynched and never heard from again. Since I was her only son for ten years, growing up she was so worried about me. It wasn’t until after I heard her voice that I realized that both of these officers were white.
The officer on the driver’s side continued to badger me, “why do you think someone is following you?” I then said, “I think you guys need to just write the ticket and do whatever you need to do.” It was so hostile. I was so confused. It was happening so fast that I could easily see how this situation could get out of hand very quickly. I didn’t feel safe at all. But one officer stopped his questioning and said, “we may not let you go. You think you’re being followed, what’s wrong with you?” At this point, I told him that I wanted to get out of the car. I wanted the passersby to see what was happening.
As I stepped out of the car another officer pulled up in front of my car. This officer was a black guy. He took one look at me and had that “Oh No” look on his face. He immediately took both officers to the back of my car and spoke to them in a hushed tone. After that, one of the officers stayed near his car while one came back, very apologetic.
I said all of that to say this: do you see how quickly this could have turned for the worse?
Now I know that there are many great officers, patrolmen and security guys out there. I am aware of that. But although we have made significant strides with racial profiling in this country, the world needs to know that we are still being racially profiled, and until this situation has improved greatly, I’m not sure how a murder in Florida can be protected by a “stand your ground law.”
And in another case that I have been screaming at the top of my lungs about, also in Florida, is the case of Terrance Williams and Felipe Santos, a young black man and a young Mexican man. Eight years ago, in Naples, FL, they were both put in the back of Deputy Steve Calkins’ police car and never heard from again.
They were never arrested, never brought to jail. They were put into the back of Deputy Calkins’ car and never heard from again. And to this day Deputy Steve Calkins is a free man.
I guess it’s time to march in Naples now.
RACIAL PROFILING SHOULD BE A HATE CRIME INVESTIGATED BY THE FBI!!!
That way local government can’t make the decision on whether or not these people get punished.
-Tyler
Tyler Perry: “RACIAL PROFILING SHOULD BE A HATE CRIME INVESTIGATED BY THE FBI!!!”
Trayvon Martin case is a hate crime, and if the state drops the ball, the federal government has absolutely no excuse for not prosecuting it. If the Obama apologists want to say let’s give him a pass because it is an election year, then say so, but please quit with the bull shyt about him not having any authority to intervene in a state matter.
Justice Department intervention in Trayvon Martin case unusual, but not unprecedented, experts say
“In 2010, federal prosecutors intervened in the case of the racially-motivated death of Luis Ramirez by members of the Shenandoah Valley, Pennsylvania, High School football team, who shouted epithets as they beat Ramirez, who died of head injuries after repeated blows to the head.
After an all-white state jury found them innocent of the most serious charges, DOJ prosecutors successfully won convictions against them under the federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it a crime to target a person based on their race or ethnicity in relation to where he or she chooses to live.”
Could someone tell me what is the difference between this incident and Trayvon Martin? He was targeted without provocation by someone based on his race in relation to where he chooses to live.
The difference is that George Zimmerman is trying to use the Stand Your Ground state law in Florida, which extends protecting your home from an intruder, to protecting your body while in the vicinity of your home. As the facts are coming out, clearly this does not fall under the Stand Your Ground law and that is why it can easily change jurisdiction to the federal government if local law continues to do nothing. The case you mentioned did not state the relation of where Luis lives to where he was beaten to death, that they used the Fair Housing Act.
Tyler, you have been through so much. I’m surprised you are able to get out of bed.
Tyler, you tell the cops someone is following you and you don’t expect the cops to question that? And Tyler you are in your car with tinted windows and you are wondering why the cops were not concerned for their safety. This story isn’t similar to Trayvon, at all.
The focus of Tyler’s story was about racial profiling. He never said his story was similar to Trayvon’s.
Sorry to hear this. Tyler is lucky he is Tyler. I’m sure (assuming) he was in a very nice car. Should that have been a regular (non celebrity) black male in a nice car telling the cops that, he would have had a long night ahead of him.
Tyler Perry story isn’t racial profiling. It’s the cops doing their job. Cops have no idea who’s in a car with tinted windows which is why tinted windows are illegal in most states. Cops follow a certain protocol for their own safely.
Sorry but this was not racial. You made a wrong turn.
Thank you Angela!!! These are the type of idiot stories Fox news gave a field day with. All of these stories involve a black man interacting with another race and somehow gets reduced to racism. If Tyler didn’t have tinted windows and made an illegal turn he would have a story to tell, not to mention a story where he is saying he is the victim of racism.
Gayle I really think your bipolar, one minute your understanding to the situation then the next your acting as if you have an issue with black men and racial injustice. Just like Tyler Perry said he knew he made an illegal turn just give me the ticket. Had he NOT been Tyler Perry but just a regular black man trust and believe it could have been a BIG DEAL! We are calling IT the way IT is……We Are Not In Denial unlike so many others……and tinted windows was Not the reason for this remember it was a wrong turn! I pray that you will never have to experience injustice toward yourself or your family…..and this has NOTHING to do with Tyler Perry……..I’m sure He can handle is own affairs….this is a GENERAL topic that WE face daily!
Police approach every vehicle with precaution and especially a vehicle with tinted windows and add to that he felt he was being followed. Race played no part in any of this and to speculate what ‘could of happened” is just silly. Every blog you read is about bashing Tyler Perry and this story he is telling. Now I am questioning if he was really molested or is he just preparing us for his big ‘gay’ announcement.
Gayle K you obviously are white, living in a white world with blinders on. EVERY person of color is well aware of the excessive aggression that the cops use when Blacks/Latinos, or so called “lower-class” people are involved – no matter the reason for their involvement (good, bad, mistaken identity, etc). I believe THAT is the basis of Tyler’s story.
Example:
Situation #1 – A White man driving an expensive car (showing obvious signs of wealth) makes a left turn from a right lane gets stopped by the police. He reveals to the police that he thinks he’s being followed. The cops, forgetting about the illegal left turn begin to look around for the person/people possibly following the driver and begin to ask for a description – BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE HIM, THINKING HE MAY BE THE VICTIM OF A POSSIBLE ROBBERY.
Situation #2 – A Black man driving an expensive car (showing obvious signs of wealth) makes a left turn from a right lane gets stopped by the police. He reveals to the police that he thinks he’s being followed. The cops harrass and make a mockery of his claim – BECAUSE a) if someone is following him, its possibly because he did something wrong. b) he’s on drugs c) he sells drugs or has stolen something – PLUS, he gets the ticket for the illegal turn.
When all of society can allow itself to broaden their scope of the entire race situation and its biases then we all can begin to heal and move away from this nonsense. All of our safety is at stake because to live in a country where a race or class of people are continuously oppressed and their lives have no value to the decision makers, they evenually will begin to fight back and take what they have not been allowed to obtain for themselves. .
Have you been to traffic court lately? It’s tons of white people fighting traffic violations from minor traffic offenses to a DUI. I hit a Latino from the back a year ago. I get out of my car to ensure he’s ok and I decided to call the cops because it was the right thing to do, guess what happened next? The Latino hoped in his car and fled?
Gayle, are you white? I’m not starting anything.
Everyone is finally picking up on her now. She’s definitely non-Black and is here to get her licks in and practice deception. She wouldn’t answer my question on another thread. A part of me suspects she’s a watered down variety.
Everytime Gayle is questioned she runs and starts the same shyt on a different thread. Her card has been pulled.
I see it both ways. Based on the number of shootings that occur in southwest Atlanta, I would be leary about approaching any vehicle with tinted windows.
I just hope he received a ticket FOR THE ILLEGAL LEFT TURN. SMH.