Body-cam footage from a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department traffic stop last month showed a woman berating a police officer, calling him “murderer” and a “Mexican racist” after he pulled her over for cell phone use.
Fox LA’s Bill Melugin posted the video on Twitter on Monday, tweeting, “NEW: ‘You’re always gonna be a Mexican, you’ll never be white, you know that?’ A Latino LASD deputy sent me his bodycam video of a woman claiming to be a teacher launching into a racist tirade against him when he pulled her over in San Dimas. She repeatedly calls him a murderer.”
Before the deputy has even reached the vehicle, the woman can be heard shouting at the officer, asking why she is being harassed.
“Do you know why I am being harassed today? Because I was going under the speed limit,” the woman yells to the deputy as he walks up to her car.
“Good morning,” the officer says.
“I was going 38,” the woman continues. “So why are you harassing me?”
The officer attempts to explain to the woman why he pulled her over, but she interrupts him, saying, “Because you’re a murderer.”
The woman goes on to say that she began recording while she was driving because the officer “is a murderer.”
“You can’t be on your cell phone while you’re driving,” the officer explains.
The woman says she wasn’t on her phone, adding that she was recording the officer.
The officer then asks for the woman’s driver’s license, which she says she left at home, but is able to provide a photo of her license on her phone.
“Can you call your supervisor please,” she asks.
“I already did. He’s on his way,” the officer responds.
“Good because you’re a murderer,” she adds.
The woman then asks the deputy if she is getting a ticket for using her phone, which she says she was using to record the cop because “[the officer] scared me and made me think [he] was going to murder me.”
The cop says she can record police activity, “but you can’t do it while you’re driving.”
She goes on to say that she is “perfectly legal and a teacher” to which the officer responds, “congratulations.”
After the officer asks if she can zoom in on the photo of her license, the woman says, “You’re scaring me. You’re threatening to kill me and my son.”
The officer later asks if the vehicle belongs to the woman. She says in response, “You’re trying to say I stole my own car because you’re jealous.”
Once the deputy’s supervisor arrives, he attempts to explain to the driver that she is only being cited for using a cell phone while operating her vehicle.
“For him being a Mexican racist,” she says as she signs the citation.
“Here you go, Mexican racist. You’re always going to be Mexican, you’ll never be white, you know that? You’ll never be white, which is what you really want to be.”
“There you go, dear,” the officer says as he gives the woman the ticket. “Have a good day.”
Sheriff Alex Villanueva praised the officer’s conduct, tweeting, “This Deputy exemplifies the core values of our Department, his demeanor during this traffic stop is just an example of professionalism and patience our @LASDHQ Deputies have.”
Jim Wheeler, president of the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, said law enforcement “take a lot of abuse,” according to CBS 2.
“Those comments were uncalled for, especially the murderer part,” he said. “We’re not murderers. Our job is very tough.”
“He did a very good job of deescalating the situation and never raised his voice and kept everything nice and calm,” Wheeler added.
