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Is the New York State Police, and Monroe County, NY Sheriffs, Racially Profiling Motorists at PGA?

Davy V. 551 Views , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

By Davy V.

A young Middle Eastern man may have been the victim of racial profiling, by New York State Police, and not even know it.

On Monday August 5, 2013, around 11:00 am, a New York State trooper driving unit “E104”, pulled over the young man, near the entrance to Oak Hill Country Club, in Pittsford, NY, just outside Rochester.

Oak Hill Country Club is the site of the 2013 PGA Championship.

As I was driving by, I observed the NYS trooper going through the trunk of the man’s silver Honda Accord.

By the time I was able to find a safe place to park, and exited my vehicle, the trooper was inside his SUV running the man’s information through dispatch.

In the video below, it is clear that the man had a very hard time understanding me when I asked him why the trooper had stopped him, and why was he searching his car.

After several times of me asking the young man, he did say that he was talking on his phone, but it was clear that the young man was clueless as to what was really going on.

I mean had the NYS trooper really pulled him over for talking on his cell phone?

Then why wasn’t the young man just issued a ticket?

Why the need to search his vehicle?

Or, on a day where professional golfers such as Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson were arriving at Oak Hill for the first day of practice rounds at the PGA, and NYS Police along with Monroe County, NY Sheriffs were everywhere, was this young man the victim of racial profiling by New York State Police?

And did the NYS trooper take advantage of the young man’s obvious difficulty understanding English, to conduct an illegal search?

 

Note: As you will see in the video, the New York State trooper immediately rolled up his window when he saw me approaching in his driver’s mirror, and refused to roll it down when I asked to speak to him.

 

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Davy V.

Davy V. is a Cuban-American Filmmaker, Video Producer, Photographer and Freelance Writer, best known for using the power of video and film to expose Police Brutality, Corruption and Misconduct. The son of the late Mario Vara, a community activist who for years fought against Police Brutality and Misconduct in Rochester, New York, Davy V. got his start in Television and Video by tagging along and working camera for his father's cable access television show, "La Voz Del Pueblo" (The Voice of The People). Davy V. later went on to produce and host "KEEP IT ON THE REEL", a cable access TV show with a mix of Hip Hop as well as issues affecting African-Americans and Latinos in Rochester, NY, such as Police Brutality and Misconduct. Some guests on the show included Treach, KayGee and Vinnie of Naughty by Nature, Method Man, Funkdoobiest, Da Youngstas, and the Rottin' Razkals. Davy V. won the U.S. ACM Video Festival Award for his Documentary, "R.P.D. EXPOSED!" about the Rochester, New York Police Department and their long history of misconduct, corruption and unnecessary killings of unarmed innocent citizens. "R.P.D. EXPOSED!" and Davy V.'s follow up, "R.P.D.: Badges of DISHONOR, CORRUPTION and MURDER!" were both screened at the National Hip Hop Political Convention at Rutgers University in Newark, New Jersey. Davy V.'s work has been featured in publications such as THE SOURCE Hip Hop Magazine, URBAN AMERICA Magazine, The Ave. Magazine, Insider Magazine, La Voz Newspaper, Minority Reporter Newspaper, CNY LATINO Newspaper, DOWN Magazine, as well as on television news stations, and programs such as CNN and Inside Edition. In addition to his freelance writing, Davy V. also writes a monthly Op/Ed Column for LA VOZ Magazine and Minority Reporter Newspaper. In June 2012, Davy V. joined Cop Block as a regular contributor.