Jamar Thaxton, a 35-year-old Black man from Virginia, said he was pulled over by a state trooper for not having a front license plate — even though he did have a front license plate.
Then, when realizing he had a front license plate, the trooper accused him of driving a “squatted” truck, which is when the truck has been modified so the back end sinks lower to the ground than the front end.
However, when Thaxton asked the trooper to see proof that he was in violation of the squatting code, the trooper refused to show him, calling for backup instead.
After a Halifax County sheriff’s deputy arrived, the officers told Thaxton they were going to have the truck towed – even though that traffic code is usually enforced with a citation and fine.
But Thaxton told the officers he was not going to allow them to tow his truck until he showed them the results.
“You’re going to tow my truck and you can’t prove the height of the bumper,” Thaxton said, according to a video recorded by his girlfriend, Brittney Garner, who was sitting in the passenger’s seat.
“Well, I tell you one thing, my truck is going nowhere till you show me the difference on that tape line.”
Instead of showing him the results of their measurements, the cops grabbed him and pulled him out of the truck, forcing him facedown on the ground to handcuff him.
Thaxton was charged with obstruction of justice, having an altered suspension, no valid state inspection sticker, and having an improper exhaust, according to WSET-TV.
Watch the video below.
‘Video Brought Tears to My Eyes’
The video recorded by Garner was posted on Facebook Saturday night and has since been viewed more than 230,000 times as of this writing, with more than 600 comments, most of them outraged at the violent way Thaxton was pulled from his truck and arrested with some commenters accusing the cops of selective enforcement based on race.
“Should have written him a ticket and kept it moving instead of towing his truck,” commented Sarah Faye. “What’s crazy is I see these white kids here in Lynchburg riding around on truly squatted trucks daily with no repercussions. This sh_t is ridiculous.”
“I’m appalled and embarrassed that this happened in my hometown once again,” said a commenter who goes by Denise S AndSmom.
“All this over a minor traffic violation. The officer’s actions are excessive and unacceptable. Every citizen deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, regardless of the situation.”
Another commenter named Thelma Petty Lane said, “This was ridiculous. That cop came up aggressive, didn’t ask questions. Just snatched him out the truck.”
And a commenter who goes by Keshia LovinKaylah Snead said, “This video brought tears to my eyes. These cops are getting out of hand.”
Law enforcement officials have issued statements, telling the media that the viral video does not tell the whole story – but they have not yet released body camera videos that would provide more context to the incident.
‘Subject was Confrontational’
When local media visited Thaxton at his home to interview him, they did their own measurement. And it turns out his truck was in violation of the truck squatting code because there was a 5-inch difference between the front and back, when the law states the difference cannot exceed 4 inches.
But the officers could have easily written him a citation for violating Virginia Motor Vehicle Code 46.2-1063, which would have required him to pay a fine of $81, according to the Uniform Fine Schedule from Virginia.
Instead, they chose to escalate the situation into a violent arrest and now they are asking the public to believe their version without actually showing their version from body or dash cam videos.
According to a statement from the Virginia State Police to local media.
The Facebook video in question represents only three-and-a-half minutes of a much longer traffic stop and only presents the incident from one viewpoint.
The initial reason for the traffic stop was for having an altered suspension in violation of Virginia Code 46.2-1063 and improper exhaust.
Throughout the stop, the subject was confrontational and uncooperative, refusing instructions to turn off and remain in the vehicle for his safety and our trooper’s safety.
After persistent refusal to follow instructions, the subject was taken into custody with the assistance of a Halifax County Sheriff’s Office deputies for obstruction of justice.
The suspect, Jamar K. Thaxton, 35, of Nathalie, Va., was charged with obstruction of justice (18.2-460), having an altered suspension, no valid state inspection sticker, and having an improper exhaust.
Virginia State Police is reviewing the traffic stop to make sure all policies and procedures were followed.
Halifax County Sheriff Fred S. Clark issued his own statement.
I recognize and respect that there may be different opinions regarding the actions depicted in the video; however, the video posted only shows a portion of the traffic stop. We want to gather all of the information possible regarding the incident.
As your Sheriff, I want to assure you that this matter has taken precedence, and I have personally spoken to the individual involved, the deputy, and Virginia State Police. As this is an ongoing investigation, additional information, including specific details that may not have been provided via social media, cannot be provided at this time.
Thaxton said this all could have been avoided had the officers simply shown him the results of their measurements.
“If it’s not right, show me on the tape measure,” he said in an interview with WSET-TV. “I can add air to it, and I can pump it up so it would be right, but he refused to show me anything.”
