Police officer who handed controversial citation not identified.
By Raif Karerat
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When John Felton was stopped in Dayton, Ohio and handed a warning for a traffic signal violation, he asked whether he was pulled over for anything besides having out-of-state plates, according to a video of the conversation posted on Facebook.
“Because you made direct eye contact with me and held onto it when I was passing you,” the officer replied in the video.
“What, I made direct eye contact? I didn’t even see you,†Felton said, obviously stunned. The officer replied that he didn’t want to argue about it so he could just give him a citation and take it to court. Otherwise, he was going to let him off with a warning.
The city of Dayton issued a statement saying, “A Dayton Police Officer pulled John Felton over on August 15 for not signaling within 100 feet of a turn. During the stop the Officer additionally acknowledged that Mr. Felton made sustained direct eye contact prior to being stopped. The traffic infraction was verified by the video; however making direct eye contact with an officer is not a basis for a traffic stop.”
Felton has agreed to have a conversation with the officer, facilitated by the Dayton Mediation Center, the statement said.
The officer’s race and identity are not known, according to CNN.
Felton told WKEF the officer followed his car about two miles and originally said he’d committed a minor traffic offense — not signaling more than 100 feet before making a turn. Felton also said the incident points out the real racial issues that still persist in the 21st century.
“I am not your stereotypical black male that a lot of people have in mind. For me it’s awareness that this stuff still happens in 2015,” he remarked.