Small town cops.................

Asheboro, NC is a small town. I would not expect the goings on by cops in big cities to happen here. I suppose I was wrong. Here is an article from our local newspaper. These folks were white.

http://courier-tribune.com/sections/news/local/asheboro-couple-says-they-were...


Asheboro couple says they were profiled in traffic stop



By Mary Anderson

manderson@courier-tribune.com



ASHEBORO — An Asheboro couple believes they were victims of profiling when they were stopped by Asheboro police on Church Street early Sunday morning and given citations for tag lights being out and unsafe tires.

Jonathan McNeill said he was driving a company car, doing errands for his boss and insists the tag lights were not out and admits that one back tire was slick, but not both. McNeill videoed the stop on his cell phone and posted it on social media online.

Asheboro Police said Wednesday that McNeill had filed a complaint and the incident was under investigation.

McNeill, 24, and his fiancee, Ashley Harris, 21, said they were making their third trip down Church Street since earlier that evening and believe because they were stopped because they were a young couple making several trips on the same street.

McNeill said in a telephone interview on Thursday that Officer Jesse Hunter said he stopped them because they were suspicious.

In an email to The Courier-Tribune, Harris wrote that they made one trip to get cigarettes for their boss. Both McNeill and Harris work for A & E Tree Service and often run errands for their supervisor at night. The next was to Walmart and the third trip was to get coupons.

“That makes six times he saw us and then he pulled us over. We asked why he stopped us and he says we were being suspicious. After telling him we were doing nothing wrong, he calls his sergeant over. We were then told we had a single tag light out. It then changed to two.

“After we were free to go, issued the citation, and then told to have a good night, we got out of the vehicle to check the tag lights which were both working. We were then told that if we did not get back in the vehicle, after we were free to go, that we would be arrested. So we were given an illegal citation after having a large number of our rights violated.”

Asheboro Police Patrol Captain Jim Smith said Thursday that Sgt. Frank Voncannon called him at home after the stop. McNeill wanted to file a complaint and Voncannon referred him to Smith.

Smith said Voncannon told him the stop had been taped on McNeill’s cell phone and would be posted on YouTube.

McNeill filed a complaint and Smith initiated an internal investigation.

“I assure you it will be a thorough and comprehensive investigation,” Smith said.

An internal investigation on a complaint against an officer is a personnel matter and the results will not be available to the public.

McNeill and Harris posted their video of the stop on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raA6an_T__s.

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