Black motorist's Virginia traffic stop under investigation

FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) - Authorities in Virginia say that a state trooper is under investigation for his forceful actions and words during a traffic stop of a Black driver last year.

The Washington Post reported Wednesday that the trooper can be heard on video telling the driver he would get “whooped” before forcefully removing him from his vehicle.

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The attorney representing driver Derrick Thompson wrote a letter Monday to Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring. The lawyer said that Trooper Charles Hewitt unconstitutionally assaulted Thompson during the stop on I-495 in Fairfax County.

Virginia State police said in a statement that they have initiated a criminal investigation.