Tyler Perry fans are posting a deluge of comments on his Facebook page in response to his recent account during a traffic stop by Atlanta Police. Over 11,000 people have responded by recounting their own experiences or railing against racial profiling. Perry said on his Facebook page that he was leaving his Atlanta studios when the encounter with Atlanta police occurred. The Actor/Playwright said that he was on his way to the airport when Police pulled him over for making a left turn from the right lane.
” I pulled the car over and put it in park,” said Perry. “Then, I let the window down and sat in the car waiting for the officer. The officer came up to the driver’s door and said that I made an illegal turn. I said, ‘” I signaled to get into the turning lane, then made the turn because I have to be sure that I’m not being followed.”’ Perry said the officer then inquired why he would be followed.
“Before I could answer him,” said Perry. “I heard banging coming from the passenger window. I had never been in this position before so I asked the officer who was that at my window, what was going on and why is someone banging on my window like that.” Perry said the officer then asked him to roll down the window because they were tinted. It’s not clear if Perry explained to the officers why he takes precautions to avoid being followed. But later in the post, Perry said that a Black Police officer arrived and appeared to recognize him. Perry said the Black officer pulled the other two officers aside and talked in “hushed tones.” He said the officers then became “very apologetic.”
Although the encounter ended without harm to Perry, he was awakened to just how easily things could go dramatically wrong during encounters with police. “I said all of that to say this: “Do you see how quickly this could have turned for the worse?”
