Aramis Ayala was pulled over by Orlando police in June, but video of the traffic stop went viral on Wednesday after some said the stop appeared unnecessary. Florida state attorney Aramis Ayala was pulled over in a traffic stop.
An officer is seen exiting an unmarked police vehicle with its lights flashing and approaching a white sedan as the clip begins. As the officer approaches the car, he takes a driver license from Ayala, who remains face-forward. “What agency are you with?” the officer asks. “I’m the state attorney,” Ayala responds.
Video of Florida's only black state attorney being pulled over by two police officers prompted criticism after it was published to the Orlando Police Department’s YouTube page on Wednesday.
She agreed the traffic stop was consistent with Florida law, but still merited a conversation with law enforcement. “My goal is to have a constructive and mutually respectful relationship between law enforcement and the community,” Ayala said.
As CNN commentator Keith Boykin tweeted, "Florida's only black state attorney Aramis Ayala pulled over by Orlando police even though she had not violated any traffic laws.".
Ayala, on the other hand, was somewhat petty. Presumably to make them think she intended to register a complaint, Ayala asked for the officers ID numbers. As is their duty, the officers provided their names and ID numbers without complaint.
When they ran her car tag, the computer did not ping back with a record. When Ayala then asks why the officers ran her plate in the first place, the officer explains that it's standard procedure at traffic lights. He is telling the truth.
Across the country, officers run plates in order to see if they match up with the car in question. It's a way to find out whether a car has been stolen, or its plates cloned. The ability of officers on patrol to detect crime rests on such proactive activity.
The police officers who stopped Aramis Ayala are not racists. When a clearly aggravated Ayala ask the officers to explain why she was pulled over, they offer good reason. (AP Photo/Brendan Farrington) O n June 19, Florida State Attorney Aramis Ayala was pulled over by two officers of the Orlando Police Department.
The Orlando Police Department said in a statement sent to BuzzFeed News that running of tags is "done routinely on patrol," and "for official purposes only."
"I look forward to sitting down to have an open dialogue with the Chief of Orlando Police Department regarding how this incident impacts that goal."
Aramis Ayala was pulled over by Orlando police in June, but video of the traffic stop went viral on Wednesday after some said the stop appeared unnecessary.
Ayala had just finished teaching a law class at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, a historically black university, when the traffic stop took place.
Ayala was in the news earlier this year after she announced she would not seek the death penalty for an accused cop-killer. Gov. Rick Scott removed her from the case over the decision. The state attorney received a racist message in March and a week later received another letter with a noose made of green twine enclosed.