City Councilman Claims He Was Racially Profiled, Then Bodycam Is Released
by AndrewBlakeLa'Shadion Shemwelltold everybody that he was racially profiled during a traffic stop.
McKinney, TX – The McKinney City Council unanimously voted to pass a resolution disapproving of the actions of a black city council member who accused a white police officer of racial profiling over a traffic stop, after the bodycam was released.
City Council Member La'Shadion Shemwell apologized to the city and police after he made the racial profiling claim related to a May 8 traffic stop.
Shemwell was pulled over by Officer K. Wilkerson because Shemwell was allegedly driving 55 mph on a 35-mph stretch. Shemwell was also cited for having an outdated address on his driver’s license.
After Shemwell refused to sign the tickets, Officer Wilkerson arrested him, according to the Dallas Morning News. Shemwell posted bail and was released from jail that night.
Shemwell then accused Wilkerson of pulling him over for "being black with dreadlocks."
In the police officer’s body camera, Shemwell repeatedly refuses to sign the ticket and when asked to step out of his vehicle says twice to the officer, “You better call Chief [Greg] Conley.”
After bodycam showed what happened, Shemwell brought forward a measure to censure himself and voted in favor of it, according to the Dallas Morning News.
"If anybody's going to hold me accountable, I need to hold myself accountable," Shemwell said after the meeting, according to the Dallas Morning News. "I didn't want to put my own council members in a position to pin themselves against me."
"I did not want to have that conversation about racial profiling on a case that involved me. But I'm not going to shy away from having those conversations," Shemwell said.
Mayor George Fuller said the council vote was a difficult but necessary stop for the city.
"We do need to get past it, but you need to get past it from a point of truth," Fuller said in a phone interview before the meeting, according to the Dallas Morning News. "It did happen. We need to deal with it. People have to own it, and then we move forward."
Fuller said the censure only serves as a reprimand and that Shemwell will still serve as a council member and that there would be no further punishment.
The resolution states that elected city officials must demonstrate "respect and integrity." During the traffic stop, Shemwell was "uncooperative and argumentative" toward the police officer, the resolution said Shemwell’s statements and actions "demonstrated a lack of judgment and professionalism."
14 Responses
BLMSUCKS
Jul 1, 2018 No sir. Your race had nothing to do with it. I stopped you because you're drunk.
smitty195
Jun 20, 2018 Thank God for body cameras!!! Before this technology was available, I carried a mini-recorder in my uniform shirt pocket. All I had to do was press the Record button (through the shirt, didn't even have to take it out) and that little baby started recording audio of whatever incident I was involved in. That thing cleared me numerous times from phony, fraudulent POS's from trying to ruin my career, my life, and my dream of being a police officer. When I was a new rookie, it took me by surprise that people hated me without even knowing me. But as any cop knows who is reading this, it has nothing to do with who we are as people. As long as we're wearing the uniform and badge, "we're all the same" to these jerks. I'm retired now, but I am not afraid to say that I was a force for GOOD in my little corner of the world. In my jurisdiction, I prevented more victims by arresting the bad guys and putting them in prison so that they could not harm anyone else. All of us have done that, yet the first thing we hear from black people is the infamous, "You stopped me because I'm black". I mostly worked mids patrol because I loved working at night. Don't people know that in most cases, WE CAN NOT SEE the color of someone's skin that we pull over??? Even when we light them up with the takedown lights, we STILL can't see who they are until we walk right up to the door and see them. Prior to that, I don't know who I'm stopping. That's why I hated, "You stopped me because I'm black" excuse. My little digital recorder got turned on immediately whenever someone said that to me right from the get-go. That alerts me that something is going to happen, and that this person will probably make a phony complaint about me. Yay for body cameras!!!
I_Raped_S_Malone
Jun 18, 2018 Certain stories police release the bodycam, certain stories they pay $2million to absolve all responsibility. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5857573/City-pay-2M-family-Iowa-woman-killed-officer.html
NTPD935Ret
Jun 18, 2018 And how is it that the lies are almost always told by African-Americans??!
Cstuartsr
Jun 18, 2018 Just another case where a body cam cleared the officer. I think these people need to be charged when they are found to be lying about what happened. How can our country unite when there has been so lies told.
Ladyfluterby
Jun 18, 2018 What is it about people who feel just because they got voted into some public office they are entitled to special treatment and are above the law. It doesn't matter what nationality they are they just feel they are above the law and exempt from following the law. Body cam's have done wonders to disprove all the claims of racism that have been talked about for years.
Rascal1966
Jun 18, 2018 It's so funny how BLM and others screamed for body cams to prove racism and fault with LEOs but it has proved the opposite. Now they are wanting all cameras removed because it infringes on their rights! Give me a damn break. When your lies are revealed, you want to change the rules. Smh
shooter
Jun 18, 2018 This is another reason I am a firm believer in body cams.
John.Brown
Jun 18, 2018 La'Shadion?????????????
LEO0301
Jun 18, 2018 If it wasn't for the body cam this officer would be the one on the hot seat. It doesn't matter that the councilman changed his tune after the video came out. The only reason he did was because he got caught lying and making false allegations. If I was the officer, I would hire a good attorney and talk about filing a slander lawsuit.