Pastor Accuses Bartow Police of Racial Profiling During Traffic Stop

Pastor Alleges Harassment During Traffic Stop

• 🚨 Senior Pastor Dantavius Sanders of St. James AM Church in Bartow claims he was racially profiled and harassed during a traffic stop over the weekend.
• 🗣️ Sanders, supported by community members at a rally, stated that the experience caused him pain and humiliation.

Bartow Police Department's Account

• 🚓 Bartow police state Sanders was stopped for a malfunctioning tag light and excessively dark window tint.
• 🐕 A police canine alerted to the car during a free air sniff, which officers state provided probable cause for a search.
• 🚫 No contraband was found during the search of Sanders' vehicle.
• ⚠️ Officers initially attempted to issue citations, but a machine malfunction led to Sanders receiving a warning and being released.

Police Chief's Response and Apology

• ⚖️ Chief Steven Walker affirmed the legality of the traffic stop but acknowledged the involved officer, who had only 31 days on the street, was verbally aggressive.
• 🤝 The Chief apologized personally to Sanders for the interaction, attributing the verbal aggression to a lack of experience in communication.
• 📝 An internal affairs investigation into the incident is currently underway.
• 🐶 Chief Walker indicated plans to make the department's K9 policy more stringent, requiring more indicators before a vehicle search.

Data and Community Policing

• 📊 Department data from the last 18 months reportedly shows no disparate treatment regarding citations between white and African-American individuals.
• 🙏 Sanders expressed hope that the incident will spur positive change within the Bartow Police Department, emphasizing that actions, not just words, are needed to address his feelings of humiliation.