Congressman feels he was pulled over for 'driving black essentially' David Edwards and Ron Brynaert

Published: Friday November 23, 2007



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Print This Email This Congressman Danny Davis (Dem-Ill) has accused two white Chicago police officers of racial profiling after being pulled over and given a traffic ticket by them earlier this week. On Friday morning, CNN's Tony Harris asked Davis what reason the police gave for stopping him Monday. "Well, they said that I was weaving and that I drove left of center, but then, of course, I was not weaving and I was not driving left of center and so I couldn't figure any reason to be stopped," Davis claimed. "All of the equipment on my car was working." The congressman added, "And I had to just ultimately figure out that there was some other reason that I was stopped beyond anything that was legal." "We were just simply four adults on our way home from a radio show and no reason, there was no traffic on the street," Davis continued. "We were the only people on the street visibly and out of the clear blue, there's a traffic --" Harris interjected, "You feel like you were pulled over for driving black essentially?" "That is correct," Davis responded. The CNN anchor was sympathetic, noting that "in the black community we almost kid about that as being such a commonplace event it is something we almost kid about with one another. I know it's serious but maybe you can help us here." Davis said that he plans to contest the ticket, and referred to an internal Chicago police investigation of the incident, before adding, "I think it's important that it be investigated, but it's also important that we find a way to bridge some of the gulf, not a gap, it's a gulf that exists between the community and the police department." This video is from CNN's Newsroom, broadcast on November 23.







