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Pearland, TX – Former NFL player Lamar Lathon had his car illegal searched and had a gun pointed at him by a police officer because he reached for his licence during a traffic stop. Lathon got pulled over after midnight on September 1st for going 15 miles per hour over the speed limit while he was passing a vehicle in another lane. He was going 65 in a 50 mile per hour zone in the middle of the night when there was hardly anyone else on the road.
The officer who pulled him over became aggressive and pulled his gun out when Lathon reached under his seat to grab his licence. After running his information, the officer demanded to search his vehicle because he suspected him of having a gun. Lathon plainly refused the search multiple times, but the officer called for backup and searched the vehicle anyway. There was no gun or anything else illegal in the vehicle and eventually the police let him go after wasting his time.
Days later, the Pearland Police Department released the dashcam video, bafflingly insisting that Lathon’s version of events is a fabrication. The video shows clearly that the police officer pointed a gun at him, searched his car illegally and found absolutely nothing, proving that the accusations of him having a gun were false.
The Pearland Police Department issued a press release this week defending the officer, and calling Lathon a liar, even though the video confirms his story. In the statement the department said:
Based on review of the video footage, it is the position of the Pearland Police Department that the response of the officers involved in this traffic stop was professional and within both the law and policies of this agency. The primary officer was tactically aware, maintained control of the scene and attempted to de-escalate a volatile situation brought on by a driver who refused to follow directions and whose primary complaint seemed to be the issuance of a citation.
The local police union is going a step further and demanding that Lathon apologize for lying when he was telling the truth all along.
The Pearland Police Officer’s Association made the following, nauseating statement:
“As a former NFL Pro Bowler, Lathon is looked up to and considered a role model by many in the community. Mr. Lathon needs to take ownership of words and actions and apologize to the men and women of the Pearland Police Department that fearlessly protect and serve their community in these very dangerous times.”
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