City Council President’s Controversial Traffic Stop
The president of the Los Angeles City Council was seen on Sunday sporting a T-shirt with a message that promotes three important ideas: “Drink Water, Love Hard, and Fight Racism.”
Marquise Harris Dawson, who represents the 8th District, recently gave emotional testimony regarding what he describes as racially motivated police actions involving himself at City Hall.
However, as reported by the California Post, he was pulled over while attempting a U-turn within a school district. Allegedly, he even reached out to the superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District to prevent receiving a citation.
On the same Sunday, the Post observed Harris Dawson driving home in the same government-issued Tesla, mere days after the incident came to light.
He made a statement with his T-shirt while walking from his driveway to his home in South Los Angeles, just a week following his impactful testimony about a racially biased traffic stop.
During a City Council meeting, Dawson recounted being stopped and questioned, arguing it highlighted the risks linked with so-called pretext traffic stops executed by the Los Angeles Police Department.
Interestingly, someone associated with the case indicated that it was not the LAPD but rather officers from the Los Angeles School Police Department who conducted the stop, as they were in the area that morning.
According to the police, Dawson was driving erratically, catching the attention of officers. They reported that he exited his vehicle right in front of their patrol car, crossed over a median, made an illegal U-turn, and was subsequently stopped near a school as students were arriving.
He received a citation for a moving violation, which amounts to a $238 fine and adds a point to his DMV record.
In addition, sources revealed that Dawson contacted members of the Los Angeles Unified School District board during his suspension in an effort to avoid going to court.
The city council president’s office did not respond to inquiries regarding the incident.
Dawson described the experience as traumatic and recalled telling the officer, “Actually, I’m the City Council president,” during the stop. He contended that in Los Angeles, pretext traffic stops are “grossly racially biased,” noting that a significant percentage targets black and Latino drivers.
The Los Angeles Police Protective League criticized his version of events, stating that if there were an award for misleading tales from elected officials, Dawson’s performance would undoubtedly win.
The union emphasized the seriousness of the moving violation near a school filled with children during dismissal time, calling for Dawson’s full suspension.
The spokesperson quoted Lord Acton, stating, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely,” while reiterating the demand for accountability and a complete investigation into the situation surrounding the council president.
