BREAKING NEWS – St. Paul, Minnesota – A Minnesota state lawmaker said he was racially profiled during a traffic stop in St. Paul on the Fourth of July that resulted in a ticket for driving with a suspended license. The city’s police chief disputes those claims, calling the encounter “by the books.”
St. Paul Police pulled over DFL State Rep. John Thompson, who represents parts of the capital city, for a missing front license plate, police records show. He was then cited for driving with a suspended license for failing to pay child support.
St. Paul Police Chief Todd Axtell said in a social media post that he reviewed the body-worn camera footage of the stop and spoke with the officer. He concluded the stop “had absolutely nothing to do with the driver’s race.”
“This is a very popular white man trick and I never should’ve fallen for it,” Thompson later stated. “To film me without telling me, knowing full well I’ll lie through my teeth, and end up looking ridiculous when the footage becomes public. If this doesn’t prove racism, then I don’t know what does.”