Tyler Perry Says He Is a Recent Victim of Racial Profiling
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Jason Merritt/Getty Images(ATLANTA) — Tyler Perry says he was unjustly interrogated by Atlanta police recently in what he believes to be a case of racial profiling.
In a lengthy post on his Facebook page, Perry recalls making an illegal turn after leaving his studio to ensure that he was not being followed. He says he was pulled over by two cops, one of whom asked him why he thought someone might be following him.
Perry writes that before he could reply, he heard the second officer banging on a passenger window because it was tinted. The second officer allegedly asked him, “Why do you think someone is following you? What is wrong with you?”
Perry says the cops continued to harass him until a third officer, who, like the actor/director, is black, pulled over to the scene. Perry continues, “He took one look at me and had that ‘Oh No’ look on his face. He immediately took both officers to the back of my car and spoke to them in a hushed tone. After that, one of the officers stayed near his car while one came back, very apologetic.”
Presumably, Perry is suggesting that the third officer recognized him and explained who he is to the other two cops.
Perry points to two other cases that he believes involved racial profiling, including the shooting death of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin. He concludes his essay in part by writing, “RACIAL PROFILING SHOULD BE A HATE CRIME INVESTIGATED BY THE FBI!!!”
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