Patriots defensive lineman Christian Barmore accused Providence police officers of racism after he was pulled over early Wednesday morning.
Police said they pulled Barmore over because a plate cover was blocking his temporary license plate on his Jeep Grand Cherokee and they were unable to determine the status of the vehicle, according to Boston 25 News.
Barmore allegedly came to a “slow stop” which led police to suspect that he might be hiding contraband.
After Barmore pulled over, police said he had an “attitude” when they approached his window and asked him about his registration expiring on Oct. 5.
Barmore asked the cops to just write him a ticket but police told him that they would tow the vehicle and search it, the report said and it can be seen in the 40-plus minutes of body cam footage released by authorities.
At least eight police officers could be seen in the vicinity of Barmore’s vehicle during the stop
The 25-year-old can be seen getting increasingly agitated once officers attempted to open his car door after police told him he needed to exit the vehicle so they could search it and tow it.
‘Y’all f–king touch me. Y’all crazy,” Barmore yells as he gets ready to exit the vehicle. “I didn’t do s–t to y’all. I f–king dare y’all to touch me. I dare y’all to touch me. I’ll sue all y’all’
Police accused Barmore of attempting to conceal something under his seat before he eventually left the car.
Officers said marijuana was discovered in the car.
Barmore was issued a summons related to his registration but was not arrested.
“I just experienced for the first time 5 Providence cops being very unprofessional racism at its finest,” Barmore wrote in a since-deleted tweet on X.
Asked about the incident at practice on Wednesday, Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo said, “I had a conversation with him this morning. … But for this time here with you guys I just want to focus on Jacksonville. What I will say is that I met with the captains and we had a conversation on how to approach it as a team. Those guys handled it in the locker room. It is a conversation we had, and we’ll see how it goes, and how it looks going forward.”
Barmore has missed this entire season so far after he was hospitalized with blood clots in July.
“The Providence Police Department takes all concerns from the public very seriously and with the utmost professionalism. In this particular case, the vehicle in question was found to be unregistered during a routine traffic stop, which is a violation of the law. The officer acted in full compliance with department protocols and state regulations,” Providence police said in a statement to Boston 25 News.
“We understand that any encounter with law enforcement can be stressful, however, it’s important to note that officers are required to enforce all applicable laws, including those related to vehicle registration. We will continue to review the situation to ensure that proper procedures were followed and to maintain transparency with the public.”
