Off-Duty Cop Tackled by Other Officers During Traffic Stop Suing City for Racial Profiling

A San Francisco police officer is accusing his comrades of racial profiling that he alleges occurred when he was stopped for a vehicle violation while off-duty.

An SFPD officer is suing the city of racial profiling after fellow officers, not recognizing him, asked him if he was on parole during a traffic stop, which ended up escalating. (Image source: Jerome Scholler/Shutterstock)

The incident occurred on May 30, when Lorenzo Adamson, who has been with the San Francisco Police Department for 15 years, was pulled over for not having a license plate, according to KPIX-TV. The situation escalated to a point where other SFPD officers tackled Adamson to the ground and charged him with resisting arrest and for a vehicle code violation.

Adamson was on disability at the time for a back injury he received on the job.

Adamson filed a lawsuit against the city Tuesday, claiming officers racially profiled him during the stop, asking him if he was on probation or parole, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

"What does not having a plate on my car have to do with being on parole or probation? Shouldn't you be asking for my license, registration and insurance?" the suit said, according to the Chronicle.

The suit alleged Officer Brian Stansbury, who made the stop, said in response, "That's what we do out here."

When Adamson exited the car upon request, the suit said he identified himself and his position with the police department, but then a second officer, Officer Daniel Dudley, "inexplicably" jumped on his back.

More officers eventually came to the scene and confirmed Adamson was a cop as he had claimed.

The charges made against Adamson were eventually dropped by the district attorney.

"Mr. Adamson is most surprised by the violation of basic rules, asking about whether he's on probation or parole without asking for identification, and just assuming he was a parolee without any facts," his attorney John Burris said, according to the Chronicle.

Watch KPIX's report about the incident:

Burris said Adamson is concerned about how police "treat black men in general."

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