Jacksonville, FL (WHDH) — Video of a white police officer appearing to threaten a black man for jaywalking has gone viral.
It happened last month in Jacksonville.
An officer stopped Devonte Shipman and his friend after he said they crossed a street against the light.
At a certain point, 21-year-old Shipman started filming and captured the officer threatening to take him to jail.
The video went viral with commentators calling it, ‘walking while black’, a reference to statistics that show black motorists get stopped at higher rates than other races.
The officer ended up giving Shipman a $62.00 fine for jaywalking and a $136.00 fine for ‘failing to provide ID.” The problem with that is, the Florida statute he cited clearly states one needs to be carrying a license while driving not walking.
The ID ticket has since been dropped and Shipman received an apology.
Meanwhile the Jacksonville sheriffs’s department says they are reviewing the incident.
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