An Atlanta City Council member was briefly detained by police earlier this month on suspicion of marijuana possession.
Antonio Ruiz was driving a 2019 Chevrolet Malibu with a suspended registration at approximately 9:21 a.m. on Feb. 2 when he was pulled over on the side of the road, according to an Atlanta Police Department incident report.
During the traffic stop, the conductor “observed the odor of raw marijuana coming from inside Mr. Lewis’ vehicle,” the report states. Officers were alerted to the scent and Lewis handed over a blunt object containing 4 grams of marijuana.
Body camera footage was obtained from fox 5 It shows how the encounter ended.
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On February 2, 2024, Atlanta City Councilman Antonio Ruiz was given two tickets by a police officer and placed in the back of a police cruiser. (Atlanta Police Department)
“Honestly, I can smell marijuana coming from your car,” Officer Kenneth Wilson says in the video. “So, you have two options here: Give it to me and we’ll be fine. I’ll just give you the ticket. Or you can take the dog and all that stuff. I’ll–and I’ll find them all.”
“Yes, sir,” Lewis replied, then handed me an unsmoked blunt.
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Antonio Ruiz represents the 12th District on the Atlanta City Council, his online biography states. (Atlanta City Council)
Officer Wilson handcuffed Lewis and placed him in the back seat of his patrol car while ticketing him for possession of marijuana and driving with a suspended registration.
“You said you were a city councilman, right?” Officer Wilson can be heard asking in the video. “Well, be sure to tell everyone that Officer Wilson treated you fairly.”
Lewis was cited and released at the scene. He did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Atlanta City Councilman Antonio Ruiz happily handed over the joint, police body camera footage showed. (Atlanta Police Department)
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According to FOX 5, the Atlanta City Council unanimously decriminalized possession of up to an ounce of marijuana in October 2017, reducing the severity of the charge from an arrest to just a summons.
Under Georgia law, the penalty for possessing less than an ounce of marijuana is up to one year in prison, a fine of up to $1,000, or both, but Atlanta’s ordinance reduces the penalty to just a $75 fine. Ta.
