At 1:30pm today. I was stopped by a Chatham, Va Police Officer for walking down the street. Their was no probable cause or reason of suspicion for this incident. He pulls over pass me and than gets out his car. He tells me to stop and asks for my identification. I ask the officer if im in any trouble or is their any reason for this stop. He tells me that People want to know who I am. He didnt ask if he wanted to know, but obviously my daily exercise of walking caught the towns attention and needed a police officer to handle the communications. After running my license and finding out their was no warrants. Also than he asks where I live. I had no warrants so it was no need to ask where I live and what I am doing here. It no longer felt like a friendly encounter but a deep fishing expedition. I also have a no constitutional requirement to answer such questions. I just wanted to show this officer not all Black people he will encounter has to be a criminal first in order to be treated like a citizen of the United States like any other race. I ask him for his badge number. He says its no need to go that far with it. It was just a simple matter of a inquiry. He gets back in his car and leaves. My problem is the stop happen right before the Express gas station. People was riding pass and I felt like a criminal, because when police stop you most of the time it is because you did something to draw their attention. Now I've been through federal court and complaint offices in order to make sure that is documentation of any violations or incidents that come with police officers no matter the city, state, or the town. It is my civic duty to let tehm know if a pattern does exist or a violation has occured that their is awareness of such activities. Police should not be going around stopping people based off race and using poor reasons for the justification. It seem like he was more shocked that I was educated to know that what he was doing was a violation of my civil rights. Terry Stop Laws protect police officers from legal interactions between citizens and officers, but it does not legalize this type of conduct. I believe I was only stopped because I was a new black male in town. Their are plenty of white people and other races walking. If Officer Roach would stopped them than it would be a uproar all across town for people being needlessly harrassed. I plan on filing a lawsuit in order to make sure that this situation and police misconduct ceases. Black men and women; whether local or out of state should not be stopped, harrass, and giving such treatment at this officer has done. I guess this officer wished that he would have waited until he has probable cause or reasonable suspicion before stopping me. I'm sometimes glad when stops like this happen to me, because it gives me first hand knowledge and experience in order to make people aware that these actions are wrong. Not filing a report with the town police officers is still wrong. If you have a complaint and you was unfairly stopped by a police officer for doing nothing wrong than it is your obligation no matter race or ethnic group to file and be vigilant towards such actions. I hope this article and my actions draw attention to make police aware because you think someone is not going to do something does not mean that this person you may not isnt going to do everythign in their power to make sure it doesnt happen again. After leaving the scene and walking a half block up aware from the scene. A guy in a red truck tells me the officer name, and tells me that this officer has been harrassing black people that are doing nothing wrong in the town of Chatham, Va as well as other officers in Chatham, Va for no reason. Im here to tell the Town of Chatham, Va that this will and needs to stop, and I plan on going through the courts for remedy. These cops now need to face a judge and not the chief of police. I have already filed a complaint in writing at the Town Hall of Chatham, Va with the Police Chief. It will not just stop there until I see this officer before a judge. His badge and any and all officers like him should be taken away.
Thank You,
Merle T. Rutledge Jr
45 Pine St. Apt 3
Chatham, Va 24531
434-390-1196
