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DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - Former Atlanta Falcons star Roddy White blasted the DeKalb County Police Department on social media this week for the way he said he was treated during a traffic stop.
White tweeted his complaints to his nearly quarter of a million followers. He stated the officer got out of the car with his hand already on his gun for what he calls a routine traffic stop.
The reason White was pulled over was because he was clocked doing 90 mph down a stretch of Interstate 285. Just days earlier, DeKalb County police said they had a similar case, but in that situation the driver was armed and ended up shooting two people.
Police said it's not uncommon for an officer to approach the car, with a hand or arm resting against the firearm, but it was this approach that sent White to Twitter, beginning with the tweet:
"This officer got out his car and immediately unbutton his his [sic] strap on his gun and put his hand on his gun and came to my car wit [sic] his hand."
"The initial approach an officer makes to stop a vehicle is one of the most dangerous things they can do. They have no idea what they're approaching; they have no idea who is in the vehicle until they make contact with them," said Major Stephen Fore, DeKalb County Police Department.
Major Fore said in White's case, the former Falcons star receiver, was speeding, had an expired registration and had tinted windows where the officer wouldn't be able to see inside the car.
He has seen White's tweets, which include him stating:
"It's cops like you that makes this world a very ugly place its [sic] a good thing I already had all my information to give him or I could've died."
"We do a lot in the community. We try hard to connect with community and maintain a good relationship and we pride ourselves on that. Things like this, social media, can really turn that backwards in a hurry were there may not be a basis for it. It could all be explained with a little conversation," said Major Fore.
At this time, White has not filed an official complaint with DeKalb County Police Department.