Former CNN anchor and future gubernatorial candidate of Arkansas, TJ Holmes says he was pulled over by Atlanta police yesterday. Actually he took a photo so it is probably true. The fact he took a photo while the police were out of the car coming towards him is another gutsy move. In his Tweeting TJ does not mention that one of the police is also black. In fact, that might be a woman. It is really hard to tell. For future pull overs, TJ needs to get larger side mirrors to make identification easier. TJ says the officers gave him no reason for pulling him over except they wanted to see if he had insurance. I can see why TJ was ticked off, or in his words, pissed off. He was pulled over because he was black. It was a Monday morning and all he was doing was driving a nice car so they pulled him over. TJ is set to host a new show on BET. He has said his dream job is to be Governor of Arkansas so hosting his own show is a good start to getting there. The fact that he also had an affair with Chilli from TLC while he was married also shows that he is politically ready.
I hate black on black crime.
ReplyDeleteFSP - these pics you find are hysterical.
DeleteI'm sorry but if he's quick enough to tweet a photo, I'm guessing he was already messing with his phone while driving. I don't understand how this is racial stereotyping.
ReplyDeleteIt's not.
ReplyDeleteI honestly don't know what to believe...I know that racism is still alive and well and I'm sure people get pulled over for BS reasons but have a hard time believing "celebrity" (I put that in quotes because I don't know who the hell this guy is) anyways, I feel like they over exaggerate events to get media attention. Their attention-whores and idk if he's lying to drum up twitter attention and sneak in his new show...
ReplyDelete*they're! I know the difference lol...forgive the grammar/ spelling errors I'm function on two hours of sleep..
DeleteI was just kind of wondering how you make the transition from CNN to BET, but then I remembered that it's CNN. Related: WHO is this?
ReplyDeleteIt's racial profiling because when TJ asked why he was being pulled over the officer couldn't give him an answer. Then, after a few minutes, the officer claimed it was because they "wanted to check if he had insurance" which isn't a real reason to pull someone over.
ReplyDeleteI guess I shouldn't be surprised all the white commenters (including Enty) can't "understand" this though. Easy to "not understand" when it doesn't happen to you.
Don't assume you know others' experiences. You generalize and stereotype in your comments regularly. Perhaps the reason you're being "kept down by the man" is you're a douchebag.
DeleteHe is (well, was) a handsome, sexy, deep-voiced CNN anchor person. Not sure if he reads news for CNN any more, now that it sounds like he has a show on BET.
ReplyDeleteAgree with @Chris - at least in Europe, one thing is for the police to set up random checks points for license / registration controls. They do this occasionally to make sure people keep their stuff current and their insurance paid.
ReplyDeleteHowever, if they stop you, out of the blue while you are driving, it has to be for a specific reason, either because of an infraction or because there is something wrong with your car.. one time my dad was stopped because we had a back tyre which was punctured and he had not noticed.
For the police to stop you without a reason like that, you would assume they think you stole the car.
Is it the same in the US?
Check point to make sure you have all your papers in order? That is not our free America my friend. Check point for DUIs yes, check points to look at your insurance Is not legal.
Delete@Chris--How do you know all the people who commented before you are white?
ReplyDelete@Jolene because how dismissive they were about the allegation of racism
ReplyDelete@Chris- you have no idea my background. I come from a town that could easily be equated to Compton. Trust me, I come from a mixed background and so do my friends. Unless you were there, you have no idea why that guy was pulled over. So we can agree to disagree, but please do not pull the race card bullshit. I know they're ignorant, racist assholes out there but I'm not one of them. And to be honest, I think its kind of a bullshit cop-out. Isn't Atlanta predominantly African American? I mean, if anywhere is going ro racially profile, I'd guess that it'd be the mid-west (no offense to anyone in the Midwest, I'm just guessing, could be very wrong.) And if he really has an issue, he can always file a report and the cops will give their side. And if they say its something for speeding, they'll have him on their camera or radar gun. But if they do say "insurance check" then yeah, we'll call it profiling.
ReplyDeleteThere are* not they're.
ReplyDeleteHe was driving under the influence of his gargantuan ego. This is race baiting. Agree with FSP .
ReplyDeleteHe does have that sexy deep voice. I can imagine if I heard that after I pulled him over I would forget the real reason and certainly not write him a ticket. I would ask lots of questions! I'm really a sucker for that voice and can't figure out why.
ReplyDeleteTyler Perry posted a story on this Facebook page about a similar incident that happened to him in Atlanta. He didn't post a pic, but he was pulled for an illegal turn.
ReplyDeleteIn his case, the issue wasn't that he was pulled over but how the cops treated him when they did. The situation was about to escalate until a black cop drove up and told the other two cops who he was.
It's sad to think of how it would've turned out if he wasn't a celebrity.
I live in Northern California. I am mixed half black half white but could easily pass for a very pale latina or olive complected white person. My bf is a dark complected black man. He gets pulled over and followed by the cops WAY more than I ever do. The last straw was when he got pulled over and instead of asking for his drivers license and registration the first thing he was asked is if he was on parole. I almost flipped my fucking wig. He handled it well. Needless to say I'm sure the cop felt REALLY stupid when we both had our badges with us. After that incident when we ride together I drive to prevent bullshit like that.
Delete@lite - That's just wrong. Sorry. Badges? Are you law enforcement too? My ex-cop BF had some secret sticker he put on his car to let other cops know he was in his personal vehicle.
DeleteIsn't Atlanta predominantly African American? I mean, if anywhere is going ro racially profile, I'd guess that it'd be the mid-west (no offense to anyone in the Midwest, I'm just guessing, could be very wrong.)
ReplyDeleteYou have no idea how dumb you sound. Please look up the phrase "institutional racism" and then stop talking.
I may sound dumb to you, but at least I'm intelligent enough to understand that playing the race card is an overused reason to excuse ones self from many wrong doings. So again, like I said, you have no idea why that douche was pulled over and neither do I. If it is somehow proven to be racially profiling, than my sincerest apologies. If it wasn't, then I told you so. And truthfully, if you really think this was racially fueled-quit commenting on blogs and go do some damn research. Police stops are a matter of public record, they will give you a comment.
DeleteRacial profiling happens everywhere, especially in areas with high minority populations. Even "good cops" end up doing this. Its part of their job. Being familiar with law enforcement, I have no doubt he was pulled over for DWB. At all.
ReplyDeleteI have a white friend who was speeding while drunk and was pulled over and arrested for a dui. He claims he was racially profiled because he lives in a mostly black area, drives a nice car that has tinted windows and nice rims. If says if he had a shitty car and if the cops could see that he was white he would never have been pulled over. This was also his 3rd dui and he isn't allowed to drive for years. I knew the cop that pulled him over and he said the guy was arrested cause he was speeding and was drunk. The guy refuses to believe it and still claims he was racially profiled. I for one am glad he was pulled over and the streets are a wee bit safer now.
ReplyDeleteUmmm...last I checked Atlanta is in Georgia - a SOUTHERN state. A lot of places in The South still have that good ol' boy mentality, and while there may be a high black population the people calling the shots are very much still whites with old ideals.
ReplyDeleteDWB is a legit thing - unspoken or not.
What she said!
Delete@Amber - Don't stereotype the south. First of all, Atlanta is *very* different from the south. It is the largest metro area in the region, and very tolerant and progressive. You're much more likely to see a BMW (one probably built in South Carolina) on the road than a pickup truck or General Lee. Atlanta has the largest black middle class population in the country, is 50% African American, and has a deep pride in its MLK history.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, I have lived in Georgia as well as most other parts of the country, and I would take the so-called "racism" of the south over that of the north ANY DAY. Because there is a large black population that historically had to run its own ship, you have a history of black "middle class" and "upper class" institutions. Highly rated black universities. Cotillions. Banks. Etc. It is also common to see African Americans in high level positions at companies, and black-owned businesses. It is hard to live in the south and NOT have regular social contact with people of a different race. People in the south are very aware of their history, and as a result are more willing to talk about and address racism. Compare that to the rest of the country, where blacks get more stereotyped because you don't have examples of middle and upper class successful black role models. The racism there goes unspoken and unaddressed, which is much more dangerous.
When I hear that this took place in Atlanta, I am less likely to believe it is racial profiling. More likely, the cops took a bad attitude toward him because he was obviously taking photo evidence as they were approaching the car -- wouldn't that make an officer think that he needed to be on his guard and was approaching a troublemaking threat?!
BTW, wth does Chili from TLC have to do with this story?
Ummm you couldn't be more wrong Seachica. It's not CLASSISM... It's RACISM. There is a distinct difference between the two. And the funny thing is that some people tend to think that because blacks have a certain earning potential they are safe.
DeleteI live in DC where it is no very diverse and even in DC racism is prevalent although there are many well to do blacks. I make more than the average upper middle class black person in Atlanta because the cost of living is higher here. If I took my salary and moved to the south I can guarantee you it would not stop my son who happenS to drive my car from bein pulled over from driving while black. I don't understand what your argument is... It makes no sense
Ummm you couldn't be more wrong Seachica. It's not CLASSISM... It's RACISM. There is a distinct difference between the two. And the funny thing is that some people tend to think that because blacks have a certain earning potential they are safe.
DeleteI live in DC where it is no very diverse and even in DC racism is prevalent although there are many well to do blacks. I make more than the average upper middle class black person in Atlanta because the cost of living is higher here. If I took my salary and moved to the south I can guarantee you it would not stop my son who happenS to drive my car from bein pulled over from driving while black. I don't understand what your argument is... It makes no sense
@liteNOTSObrite - it strikes me as sad, sad, sad, that you have to do a "workaround" to not get pulled over. All kinds of wrong.
ReplyDeleteScratch that, I'm more mad than sad.
@lite--HE SAID THAT?! Holy. Shit.
ReplyDelete@Amber--To be fair, it's not just a southern thing. That's kind of a cop-out. I personally think it might happen more in the south, but I really don't know. I'm from Chicago and grew up in a predominantly white suburb just outside, and racial profiling happened ALL THE TIME. Whenever we drove past people getting pulled over, it was almost always an African American or Hispanic. Or a teenager, actually (age profiling? is that a thing?) I was one of those teenagers. I was doing nothing wrong, just driving, can't remember where, with a couple friends. They pulled me over claiming they "thought was taillight was out," which it wasn't. They proceeded to check my car for booze and weed. They found nothing, but I remember how they were acting, like they expected to catch us doing something. The non-whites and the punk kids were the ones making the trouble, according to them. So trust me, it happens everywhere. It was disgusting.
According to my calendar, yesterday was July 30 - ie, the end of the month. It was probably fill-your-ticket-quota time for the cops.
ReplyDeleteClearly, I wasn't there (and nor were any of the other posters) but perhaps they pulled him over for a serious end-of-the-month crime like changing lanes without signaling.
Once they'd stopped him, they realized who he was and realized he was taking pictures, and figured it would be less trouble to fill their quota with someone else, ie the insurance excuse.
I really hope that race relations improve in my lifetime. Yeah I am white, but if I was this guy, I am sure I would think it was racial profiling. Was it in this instance? Who knows. But it definitely still happens.
ReplyDeleteI will say this much, my white ex was pulled over a bunch for no reason, but he drove a red sports car. With my practical cars, I have only been pulled over for a real reason.
@Unless real evidence comes out that he was pulled over for a different reason then this is for sure racial profiling. I've never heard of someone (who isn't a racial minority - doesn't have to be black because I've seen plenty of Latino/as getting pulled over for bogus reasons as well) getting pulled over to "check your insurance.
ReplyDeleteDon't even get me started on the adventures of "driving while black". Lord help!!!
ReplyDeleteYeah, please don't stereotype the South. As a new Midwesterner, I can tell you that racism is alive and well here. Sad, but true.
ReplyDeleteWhat is weird in my new state of OH, is that people feel free to share their disgust for "darkness" with me. It is horrifying! I didn't expect it before I moved here.
Racial Profiling is alive and kicking, only time we going to get over it is when the aliens land on earth and then we group together and be racist against them!
ReplyDeleteAgreed with people regarding this being a racial profiling situation.
ReplyDeleteI have lived in Northern Cali my whole life and am white.
My best friend since high school is Mexican-American.
Once, when he was taking a walk after some of us all had dinner at another friend's house in the subarbs he didnt come home for over an hour. When he did come in he told us that two cops stopped him around the block and made him stay there while they asked him a ton of questions because a brown-complexioned person in the area had robbed a house a few hours earlier. They made him sit on the grass while they cleared him. It took 45 minutes.
I was with him while he was driving down a residential neighborhood years later. A cop put his sirens on, asking my friend to pull over. My friend started visibly shaking and was terrified. He had been going at most 5miles over the speed limit.
He was extremely subdued with the officer.
As for ME, a white female: I have on several occasions stuck my whole head out the window when I get pulled over for something, I talk back to the cop if I think the ticket or warrening was erroneous.
Once my same friend, another dude, and I were driving (with me as the driver) and doing something we shouldnt have been doing (I was a teenager, lol) and a cop pulled us over. My friend was freaking out. I calmly stashed what we had been doing and lied to the cop about why we were driving a little erractically. The cop totally believed me and went on his way. My friend couldnt believe it.
I am just one person in a world of billions. And I lived in a well-known progressive, liberal state and location. And yet I have these stories just off the top of my head. How many others do too? And even worse stories? Racial profiling is alive and well. And it happens to all sorts of genders, colors, and classes. The sooner we address these issues and spend less time blaming the victim or pretending these things dont exist, the better. Im glad he brought what happened to him to light.
Honestly, if you are of another race, ask them their reasoning for pulling you over. If it's speed, ask to see the radar gun, they have to oblige. If it's about turn signals, etc- they should have caught it on the car camera. And if they can't give a satisfactory reason, then make what they did known. There are definitely ignorant a-holes out there. But like they can't assume every black person with a nice car is a drug dealer/miscreant/etc, you can't assume every cop is pulling you over because your black.
ReplyDeleteFear begets more fear. And the cycle of ignorance continues...
ReplyDeleteI know this stuff happens all the time. I've lived all over the country and seen it happen to friends. I'm white but olive skin tone and darker than the rest of my blonde blue eyed family.
America is still so ass backwards over race. It's really sad. I'm adding this to my "It's NOT Working USA" campaign. When you get down too it, we're all just people trying to get thru the day, support our families etc. All HUMANS!
I'm not saying that there isn't racial profiling, but when I was younger and blonder and drove a convertible, I got pulled over in bumper-to-bumper rush-hour traffic for having registration ONE DAY overdue and on another occasion in the late afternoon before dusk on the pretense that my convertible's headlight was stuck (even though the headlights weren't on and weren't needed). On the first occasion, an assistant police chief told me that particular officer hated blondes because his ex was a blonde and on the second occasion, it was in a nearby town notorious for building its coffers on cops with quotas on handing out tickets for any violation imaginable. Just sayin'!
ReplyDeleteIn most states, there are certain offenses that allow a cop to pull someone over and some that aren't. For instance, in my state, we have a mandatory seat belt law, but a cop isn't allowed to pull you over if they suspect that. They can only cite you for that if they've pulled you over for speeding, failing to yield, etc.
LOL@politically ready
ReplyDelete@nunaurbiz: 1) The registration stop is valid because even if you were one day overdue, the cop doesn't know that since the stickers denote registration by month and year. For all s/he knows, you were a month behind.
ReplyDelete2) I've never heard of a state where you can stop people randomly just to see if s/he has valid insurance. A cop can't tell if someone is suspicious of not having insurance based on the look of the driver or his/her car.
Isn't this just how a police state works?
ReplyDeleteWe have been making the slow march that way for awhile.
DeleteReading comprehension, people. I said "A lot of places in the South". I did not say ALL. In some of those places there is a very distinct system.
ReplyDeleteI am also not so ignorant as to believe there is not racism everywhere - there most definitely is. Don't jump on me unless you've correctly processed what I said.
@luckylass - I lived in Columbus, OH for a couple years, and it was an interesting experience. I came out one morning to find someone had written "YANKI" in the frost on my windshield, because I had MN plates. Yes, spelled incorrectly which was oh-so-apropos.
Hey girl. I get what you and all the regulars are saying. I think we have an angry troll in our midst. None of us are racists and I think any of us would discriminate against another person, the guy in the comments is just angry and trying to start a non-excitant debate.
DeleteShit typeos! None of us would discriminate is what that ment and also a non existent Argument.
DeleteAmen Chris Well said.
ReplyDeleteWhen all else fail, pull the race card.
ReplyDeleteI find it laughable that he is screaming like a banshee about being pulled over b/c he is black but fails to mention the cop pulling him over is also black. Nobody was there and I am sorry if I refuse to jump on the race bandwagon every time somebody claim they were a victim of racial profiling. I don't know what happened here. But, what I do know from watching these POS on tv is that he is a narcissistic asshole who probably believes he is above the law.
Well hopefully Fulton County PD releases a valid reason he was pulled over and a copy of the citation because otherwise it IS racial profiling.
ReplyDelete@Amber - weird!
ReplyDeleteOh Nunrbiz that reminded me my registration has expired!
ReplyDeleteYeah, there is still a crime of driving while black. And
it's a statistical fact that red sports cars are pulled over more frequently than any other color. Why wouldn't it be a statisticalfact that people of color are pulled over or detained more. Trevon Martin anyone.
I think with this crowd we can see most people have stories regarding experiences either with them or with friends where this is an obvious fact. And it's still sad.
And FSP your avi scares me~!
ReplyDeletemy boyfriend who lives in dc has been pulled over for "having a christmas tree air freshener on his rearview mirror", "looking like someone who has a warrant", & many more times with no explanation at all. He's always able to get off with no tickets bc, well, he hasn't broken any laws & the cops recognize him from his basketball/college career. Now he puts his air freshener out of view & takes back roads, he's basically the most paranoid driver I know bc of it & it's truly a shame how prevalent racial profiling is & will be in the future.
ReplyDeleteI got pulled over because they said" a black sedan " like mine had been involved in a crime...smdh
ReplyDeleteThank God,all my stuff was legit. Because if I had any warrants or whatever,I'm pretty sure Chicago's finest would've had me in jail.
Incidentally no ticket was given, I was driving while. Lol
Just wanted to throw it out there to those people who think that because the police officer was also black then racial profiling is not at play: See the Stanley Milgram Experiment (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milgram_experiment)
ReplyDeleteThe experiment itself deals with authority figures- not race- but it partially explains why some black police officers behave just as brutally as some of their white counterparts.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanford_prison_experiment
ReplyDelete^^That's at play as well.
I love those of you who are commenting how this even happens in your wonderful progressive paradises, you know, because those red places are just so dang backwards. I live in the reddest of red areas in a purple state. Here in our backwards utopia, we had exactly 6 African-Americans in our school. Rest of the school population was lily white. Want to guess how they were treated? They were treated wonderfully. Oh my, you mean those backward, hillbilly Rethugs actually were nice to the black folk? OMG! Yeah, 2 of the young men were Prom King, 2 of the young ladies were Prom Queen (all 4 different years)and the other 2 were thought highly enough to be elected to Student Council and elected class officers. They were treated just like anyone else by staff, teachers, students and parents.
ReplyDeleteQuit labeling your fellow Americans as racist and backwards, completely based on where they live. I am a northerner, but am so appalled by people labeling those in the south as dumb, ignorant, backwards, etc. just because of where they live. Most of you are not as "progressive" as you think.
@nightowl: What does that have to do with racial profiling (which most people on here have stated has happened all over this great country of ours)?
ReplyDelete@The: May I ask to whom you are referring? I looked over all of the comments and don't see "kept down by the man" anywhere.
ReplyDelete@nightowl - all I am doing is posting my experiences. I've met racists in every city I have spent a lot of time in the US, except in Northern CA (but others here have). Does that mean everyone in the US is racist? Hell no. Does that mean everyone in my state of Ohio is racist? Hell no. But, I think we can gather from the diverse experiences here is that racism is alive and well and not isolated in any region of the US.
ReplyDeleteI guess I'm the only one who was interested in the Chilli angle of the story. I was wondering if she was still with the Euro model she dated on her show. Guess not.
ReplyDelete..and the very obvious was missed..
ReplyDeleteEnty said:
"future gubernatorial candidate of Arkansas, TJ Holmes "
The color of money is green. And this will fill his coffers.Hope the cops met their quota.
@Agent**It - Exactly. He also has a new show coming out.
ReplyDeletenunaurbiz: PREACH, SISTER! When I lived in a nearby college town, and was mid-20's & blonde, I got pulled over all the time. Those cops NEVER had a reason, though (I'm a pedantically safe driver).
ReplyDeleteI would always ask why, and they'd usually say it was because they 'hoped' I wasn't drunk driving (I WORKED at a bar, so they would automatically pull me over as soon as I pulled out). But Every. Single. Time. They would chat me up and ask me out. EVERY time.
When I was pulled over in other parts of town, they wouldn't have any complaint then either, they'd just ask me a ton of questions about where I was going, 'by myself'. Any excuse to start the conversation about whether I was single, and they ALWAYS let me know they were single. GAG.
It's totally sickening.
Btw, although the college town had lots of young women, very few drove cars regularly. I lived off-campus and worked full time, so i drove every day.
I truly believe DWB exists, because DWYoung&Female exists, and it SUCKS. And those cops were asking me out, trying to charm, etc,---NOT assuming I was a felon, as in DWB. I can't imagine the terror an innocent Black or Latino (esp. male) feels when being pulled over--again.
I would like to add to my last post and say that I do believe that racial profiling does happen. I just don't think it happened in this case.
ReplyDelete@crazy/beautiful- I LOVE YOU!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting the Milgram experiment! Such a great classic example of social psychology and conditioning.
You rock.
Excellent promotion for his new TV show. Excellent.
ReplyDeleteI'm a ginger and live in Columbus, OH. I was pulled over on my way home from work because my rear license plate was "loose". The asshole white police officer went crazy on me and told me never to show my face in his city again, and when my co-worker who carpooled with me asked if he was kidding, MY lily white ass got cuffed and thrown in jail in downtown Columbus with a gaggle of detoxing heroin addicts. I'd never even had a ticket. I was told I could be jailed for up to 30 days for the license plate. I went to court the next morning in handcuffs, and the judge said he couldn't believe what had happened. I was released several hours after court, and my retired State Trooper father picked me up from the jail. So, shit happens to ALL OF US...just saying!
ReplyDeleteDriving while ginger?
ReplyDelete@shauniebear - holy crap! Talk about having an authority complex. Up here in Cleveland, I was stopped for making an illegal right turn, I didn't have my CA license on me, and still hadn't had an OH license yet. And I got off.
ReplyDelete@Shauniebear: I'm sorry but because something crazy happened to you, you don't think racial profiling exists? I don't think anyone has said that white people never get pulled over for BS, BUT the actual higher rate of minorities getting pulled over for erroneous reasons is what is being asserted. I'm sorry you had a bad experience but I'm not going to turn a blind eye to institutional racism because of it and I'd hope you wouldn't either.
ReplyDeleteI don't see how the fact that he had a show to promote makes any difference.
ReplyDeleteHe was pulled over for no apparent reason other than to check for insurance. Who does that? I agree it was merely because he was black in a nice car.
No idea who this guy is, but since the majority of the population in Atlanta is black, I doubt that was the reason.
ReplyDeleteOf course, "driving while black" gets him more press coverage...
While conspiracy theories are fun, odds are he was in a heavily patrolled area.
ReplyDeleteI'm white. In the last month (on my block)
1.) I have been pulled over for not using my turn signal for turning into my street. (Ticket..mouthy cop)
2.) My bf (the ever loving athlete that he is) has been pulled over at 11:30p because he was on a bike and had a backpack. He was cycling the 5 miles from work. The story he was given was that someone 'in the neighborhood was robbed' and he 'matched the description'
He's white.
..BTW, there was no report filed that night about a white guy on a bike with a backpack stealing ANYTHING, much less coming towards my neighborhood after the fact.
ReplyDeleteProfessional victims make me crave an Alka-Seltzer.
@ABlake: With all due respect, your number one is irrelevant because you did in fact have an infraction and weren't pulled over "to check insurance" and your number two is also irrelevant because the dude had a backpack on riding a bike in a residential neighborhood AT NIGHT. When you or your boyfriend is stopped in broad daylight "for insurance" then maybe you'd have a point.
ReplyDeleteI wish people were forced to undergo a "Black Like Me" experiment for a few months.
Nothing wrong with having an affair with Chilli, she is FINE AS HELL.
ReplyDeleteI'm more cureious about the Chilli affair. Chilli stated she dated him when he was divorced from his first wife. He is now onto wife number two.
ReplyDelete