You won't believe this video...

Report: City's new fire chief says racial profiling a factor in traffic stop

FROM STAFF REPORTS

Monday, December 03, 2007

Longview's new fire chief, Michael Pruitt, complained that racial profiling was a factor in a Nov. 17 traffic stop that occurred in Longview just days after he was officially sworn in, according to a written report by Sgt. B Seyer. Seyer said in a report to Police Chief J.B. McCaleb thats he reviewed a video of the stop and the officer involved had done nothing wrong, but acted in a "true professional manner."

Seyer's report says Pruitt made the complaint during a meeting at the police department less than an hour after the Saturday traffic stop. The stop occurred after an officer reported seeing the chief's 10-year-old son without a seat belt. Pruitt also said in the meeting that the officer shouldn't have asked him for his insurance information after Pruitt informed the officer that he was the new fire chief, according to Seyer's report.

Pruitt became Longview's fire chief earlier this month after a 30-year-career with the Dallas Fire-Rescue Department.

That is pathetic.

How did we hire this guy?

Quoted: That is pathetic. How did we hire this guy?

How or why?

Because I can tell you why.

Quoted: That is pathetic. How did we hire this guy?

I know quite a few of the Longview FF's, and while they were initially happy with this guy, he is proposing watering down the requirements for applicants, basically so more minorities will apply, since there are very few on the dept.
They ain't happy. (Not about hiring minorities, but about watering down the requirements)

Good luck with that guy.


What a pussy.

"Pruitt also said in the meeting that the officer shouldn't have asked him for his insurance information after Pruitt informed the officer that he was the new fire chief"


Oh your the Fire Cheif, well that makes me the ticket fairy. Press hard you are making three copies...


homeless bum to POTUS you are all humans in my book and will be initialy treated with respect, start throwing out how important you are and see where that gets you

I remember one day when my mom was getting pulled over for going 62 in a 65, and the officer asked her to get her license and registration. She then unbuckled her seatbelt to get it.

Afterwards, the officer never did write up that speeding ticket but instead wrote her up for a seatbelt violation...



Absent of video of the occupants car prior to pulling over, I call BS on the "seatbelt violation" claimed.


Guy was a dick though! (I hate "professional" courtesy).

Pruitt also said in the meeting that the officer shouldn't have asked him for his insurance information after Pruitt informed the officer that he was the new fire chief

just because hes the chief makes him above the law?

Quoted: I remember one day when my mom was getting pulled over for going 62 in a 65, and the officer asked her to get her license and registration. She then unbuckled her seatbelt to get it. Afterwards, the officer never did write up that speeding ticket but instead wrote her up for a seatbelt violation... Absent of video of the occupants car prior to pulling over, I call BS on the "seatbelt violation" claimed. Guy was a dick though! (I hate "professional" courtesy).

Was she going to Canada for french fries and gravy?

Littering and?
Littering and?

Quoted: Quoted: I remember one day when my mom was getting pulled over for going 62 in a 65, and the officer asked her to get her license and registration. She then unbuckled her seatbelt to get it. Afterwards, the officer never did write up that speeding ticket but instead wrote her up for a seatbelt violation... Absent of video of the occupants car prior to pulling over, I call BS on the "seatbelt violation" claimed. Guy was a dick though! (I hate "professional" courtesy). Was she going to Canada for french fries and gravy? Littering and? Littering and?

lol

Huh, the snozzberries really do taste like snozzberries.

Quoted: Quoted: I remember one day when my mom was getting pulled over for going 62 in a 65, and the officer asked her to get her license and registration. She then unbuckled her seatbelt to get it. Afterwards, the officer never did write up that speeding ticket but instead wrote her up for a seatbelt violation... Absent of video of the occupants car prior to pulling over, I call BS on the "seatbelt violation" claimed. Guy was a dick though! (I hate "professional" courtesy). Was she going to Canada for french fries and gravy? Littering and? Littering and?

Smoking the reefer.

Quoted: "Pruitt also said in the meeting that the officer shouldn't have asked him for his insurance information after Pruitt informed the officer that he was the new fire chief" Oh your the Fire Cheif, well that makes me the ticket fairy. Press hard you are making three copies...

+1

All LEO's should write the ticket anytime a "City Official" tries to intimidate them.

Fire chief's traffic stop causes flap
Longview city manager tells new official he's not pleased with response, papers show



By JO LEE FERGUSON

Tuesday, December 04, 2007

Longview City Manager David Willard has told the city's new fire chief that he was not pleased with the way the chief responded to a traffic stop last month, according to city documents.

An internal police memo about the Nov. 17 traffic stop says the fire chief complained during a meeting with a police sergeant that the stop involved racial profiling. On Monday, Fire Chief Michael Pruitt said he did not say or write anything about racial profiling. City officials also say racial profiling did not occur and praised the police officer's behavior.


"The officer acted in a totally professional manner," Longview City Manager David Willard said Monday.

Pruitt became Longview's fire chief Nov. 1, after a 30-year career with the Dallas Fire-Rescue Department. His swearing-in ceremony was Nov. 15.

The city manager, who oversees all city department heads, learned about the stop on Nov. 24. He talked to Police Chief J.B. McCaleb on Nov. 26 and watched a video of the stop that was taken by the police officer's dashboard camera, according to notes Willard made. The city of Longview released the notes, a recording of the stop and an internal police memo about the incident to the Longview News-Journal on Monday, in response to an open records request the newspaper made Thursday.

Willard's notes also say he met with Pruitt on Nov. 26.

"I advised (Pruitt) that I was not pleased with how he responded to the stop," Willard wrote. Willard told Pruitt that he could have handled the situation differently by calling Willard or speaking privately with McCaleb.

"Chief Pruitt told me he understood my feelings in the matter, and he said he would not let it happen again, that he would exercise better judgment," Willard wrote.

The recording of the traffic stop shows Officer Jennifer Falkner pulling over the fire chief's private car at Spur 63 and Marshall Avenue. Pruitt on Monday said he and his family had been house hunting.

Falkner tells Pruitt as she walks up to his vehicle that she had stopped him because his son was not wearing a seat belt. The conversation is sometimes difficult to hear because of passing traffic, but the police memo about the incident says Pruitt explained to the officer that his 10-year-old son had unbuckled himself to hand his iPod to his mother. He then introduces himself as the new fire chief.

The video shows Falkner saying she's glad to meet him, and then asking for Pruitt's license and insurance.

Pruitt tells the officer several times that she's "messing" with him, the video shows.

The officer ends the stop by telling Pruitt she's not messing with him and refers to Pruitt's son's seat belt.

Pruitt then visited the police station about an hour after the stop, according to the internal memo from Sgt. Ben Seyer to McCaleb.

The memo says Falkner did not know the fire chief when she stopped him.

"Fire Chief Pruitt stated that the officer was racial profiling. I assured Fire Chief Pruitt that the Longview Police Dept. does not do racial profiling," Seyer wrote.

Sgt. Laura Robinson, who also was at the meeting, asked Pruitt several times whether he wanted to file a formal complaint and Pruitt said no, according to Seyer's memo.

"I asked Fire Chief Pruitt several times what the issue was on the stop and it went from racial profiling to when the officer found out that he was the fire chief, the officer shouldn't have asked for his insurance and just let him leave," Seyer wrote.

Seyer reviewed the video and also said Falkner acted in a "true professional manner," a sentiment that McCaleb agreed with on Monday.

On Monday, Pruitt said this was "just an unfortunate incident." He also said he did not allege racial profiling and would not have done so.

"I don't see race," he said. "I see everybody as people."

Complaints against police officers have to be written down, he said, and he did not write anything down.

He said he is in a highly visible and political position, and as fire chief he is responsible for fire prevention through inspection and code enforcement.

"I say that to remind the citizens of Longview that the Longview Fire Department also enforces laws, fire codes, rules and regulations, for which I am responsible for," he said. "I would never violate the law."

He said the incident has not changed his view about Longview.

"I want to be the Longview fire chief, and hopefully, I'm here for five to 10 or 15 years," he said.

Willard said the incident is now over. Pruitt told Willard last week that he (Pruitt) did not think the incident was racial profiling, Willard said, and apologized to the officer if he seemed upset with her.

He and McCaleb also said racial profiling was not a factor in the stop.

McCaleb said racial profiling is against city policy and state law. He could not recall any racial profiling complaints that had been filed this year.

*****

Longview police traffic stops in 2007*

Total Black drivers

18,258 4,559

Number of people cited in 2007*

Total Black drivers*

10,694 2,244

Stops for seat belt violations in 2007**

Total Citations Stops*** Citations****

787 578 118 84

*Through Dec. 2

**Through Nov. 30

***Stops of black drivers

****Citations of black drivers

I kept waiting for something to bash the officer about but it never happened.



She was professional through and through.

Quoted: I kept waiting for something to bash the officer about but it never happened. She was professional through and through.

I might get tased on the way home, but I have never had any contact with a Longview PD officer that wasn't extremely professional.

Quoted: Pruitt also said in the meeting that the officer shouldn't have asked him for his insurance information after Pruitt informed the officer that he was the new fire chief just because hes the chief makes him above the law?

 That sure seems to be his attitude.  Pretty common among govt officials.  

Quoted: I remember one day when my mom was getting pulled over for going 62 in a 65, and the officer asked her to get her license and registration. She then unbuckled her seatbelt to get it. Afterwards, the officer never did write up that speeding ticket but instead wrote her up for a seatbelt violation... Absent of video of the occupants car prior to pulling over, I call BS on the "seatbelt violation" claimed. Guy was a dick though! (I hate "professional" courtesy).

Funny the fire chief admits it...............

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I remember one day when my mom was getting pulled over for going 62 in a 65, and the officer asked her to get her license and registration. She then unbuckled her seatbelt to get it. Afterwards, the officer never did write up that speeding ticket but instead wrote her up for a seatbelt violation... Absent of video of the occupants car prior to pulling over, I call BS on the "seatbelt violation" claimed. Guy was a dick though! (I hate "professional" courtesy). Was she going to Canada for french fries and gravy? Littering and? Littering and? Smoking the reefer.

Do you smell that????

Quoted: I kept waiting for something to bash the officer about but it never happened. She was professional through and through.

The quoted posted 2 above this one someone calls the officer a liar.

Quoted: Do you smell that????

I smell fear.

Quoted: Quoted: I kept waiting for something to bash the officer about but it never happened. She was professional through and through. The quoted posted 2 above this one someone calls the officer a liar.

I don't see it. She did fine.

Quoted: Quoted: Do you smell that???? I smell fear.

Nice.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I kept waiting for something to bash the officer about but it never happened. She was professional through and through. The quoted posted 2 above this one someone calls the officer a liar. I don't see it. She did fine.

Absent of video of the occupants car prior to pulling over, I call BS on the "seatbelt violation" claimed.

Can u see it now. It was quoted, now it's pasted.

Quoted: that comment about being the Fire Chief was pretty stupid quote to let fly in the press.

It's even more stupid to be in the Police Station an hour later complaining about being "profiled" and then when it hits the media....deny it. Why the fuck did he even go to the Police Station if it wasn't to complain? Hell the officer as soon as she found out for sure who he was just let him go.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I kept waiting for something to bash the officer about but it never happened. She was professional through and through. The quoted posted 2 above this one someone calls the officer a liar. I don't see it. She did fine. Absent of video of the occupants car prior to pulling over, I call BS on the "seatbelt violation" claimed. Can u see it now. It was quoted, now it's pasted.

You misunderstand me.

I don't see how she lied. "She did fine."

Child restraint violations, no warnings, press hard you are making five copies.



Oh and this won't be the last of this issue.

Quoted: Quoted: I remember one day when my mom was getting pulled over for going 62 in a 65, and the officer asked her to get her license and registration. She then unbuckled her seatbelt to get it. Afterwards, the officer never did write up that speeding ticket but instead wrote her up for a seatbelt violation... Absent of video of the occupants car prior to pulling over, I call BS on the "seatbelt violation" claimed. Guy was a dick though! (I hate "professional" courtesy). Funny the fire chief admits it...............

Shhhhh, don't let facts get in the way.

Quoted: that comment about being the Fire Chief was pretty stupid quote to let fly in the press.

It won't be the last time you see this guy in the news.

Getting out of the car like he did would have given me the willies if I was the popo making the stop.

Quoted: that comment about being the Fire Chief was pretty stupid quote to let fly in the press.

Agreed.

It's called professional courtesy, not professional expectation.

I just hope this crappy turn of events doesn't percolate down to the guys on the street.

Quoted: Quoted: That is pathetic. How did we hire this guy? I know quite a few of the Longview FF's, and while they were initially happy with this guy, he is proposing watering down the requirements for applicants, basically so more minorities will apply, since there are very few on the dept. They ain't happy. (Not about hiring minorities, but about watering down the requirements)

I can understand that. Our City always tries to hire more minorities (being 60% African-American I can understand why) but the standards have alway been applied across the board.

"Pruitt also said in the meeting that the officer shouldn't have asked him for his insurance information after Pruitt informed the officer that he was the new fire chief"


What a fucking prick.  And you can quote me on that.

He's the new fire chief so he's above the law, eh?  

I guess he thinks it's unfair that the officer treated him just like anyone else.

Kudos to the officer.

Boo! on the fire chief.

John