New England Patriots lineman Christian Barmore is accusing police in Providence, Rhode Island, of being “racists” for pulling him over for driving too slow on Wednesday.
Barmore was stopped at 1 a.m. by the Providence Police Department, and officers claimed he was “slow-rolling” his vehicle. According to a Fox News report, he was also cited for having tinted windows in violation of local ordinances.
Officers describe “slow rolling” as the act of a driver taking extra time to come to a halt in a traffic stop so that he has time to hide things that would cause an officer to ramp up his suspicions of wrongdoing if seen openly inside the car.
Barmore’s car was searched during the stop, and officers found ashes from what they suspect are illegal drugs. The police also reported finding marijuana in small tubes inside the car.
The NFL player was also cited for several other violations, including driving an unregistered vehicle, driving with an expired license, and violating license plate display rules.
Barmore was not taken into custody, but police did tow his car to a police impound.
After the incident, Barmore claimed the officers were racists.
“I just experienced for the first time [five] Providence cops being very unprofessional racism at it’s finest,” Barmore wrote on social media. It appears he later deleted the message.
The department denies that they acted on anything but solid legal grounds.
“The Providence Police Department takes all concerns from the public very seriously and with the utmost professionalism. In this particular case, the vehicle in question was found to be unregistered during a routine traffic stop, which is a violation of the law. The officer acted in full compliance with department protocols and state regulations,” the department said in a statement.
“We understand that any encounter with law enforcement can be stressful. However, it’s important to note that officers are required to enforce all applicable laws, including those related to vehicle registration. We will continue to review the situation to ensure that proper procedures were followed and to maintain transparency with the public.”
Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo said the team is aware of the incident. “We’re aware of the situation. I had a conversation with him this morning. At least for this time here with you guys, I want to focus on Jacksonville.” he said.
Barmore has not played a single game yet this year after being diagnosed with worrisome blood clots in July.
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