Roddy White, a former NFL star who played all of his 11 seasons as a wide receiver for the Atlanta Falcons, used a series of tweets on Wednesday to describe a traffic stop incident in Georgia that made him fear for his life.
Ex-Falcons WR Roddy White Tweets About Fear
When a DeKalb County, Georgia police officer allegedly put his hand over his holstered gun as he approached White’s car, the now-free agent said he became upset and concerned.
White received two traffic tickets, but said he wanted to report the officer for his actions.
White, who never got into any trouble with the law during his playing days, recounted the incident to CNN at his home Wednesday night.
“I said, ‘On a routine traffic stop for a speeding ticket, its protocol for you to get out of our car and put your hand on your weapon and come walk to someone’s car?’ He told me, ‘Yeah, yeah, that’s police protocol.'”
“So I was like, ‘Are you serious?'” White said the officer told him, “No, that’s my protocol, that’s what I do as a police officer.”
“It was a scary moment for me because at that time I was like anybody else — I felt vulnerable. If something went wrong or if I tried to argue with this guy … I could’ve got shot.”
White had not filed a report as of Wednesday night, as he tweeted he would. If he does, the incident will be investigated by the internal affairs unit, police stated. The former receiver was pulled over in suburban Atlanta and was cited for speeding and an expired license plate, which in itself he didn’t complain about, per his tweets.
White claimed he didn’t realize he was speeding due to the busy traffic on Interstate 285. He said he followed advice his mother once gave him to get all his information ready and have the window rolled down by the time the officer approached.
Reactions to White’s tweets were mixed, with some people supporting the ex-wideout, and others– even white people– saying they had experienced the same thing. Some white people in the latter group criticized White for making this a race issue.
White said in his final tweet that reporting the officer for his behavior “could save the next black man’s life.”
White, 35, led the NFL in 2010 with 115 receptions and was named to the All-Pro team that year. He was released by the Falcons in March.
ATLANTA, GA – SEPTEMBER 03: Roddy White #84 of the Atlanta Falcons warms up prior to facing the Baltimore Ravens at Georgia Dome on September 3, 2015 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
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