(NewsNation) — The Providence, Rhode Island, Police Department is demanding an apology from New England Patriots defensive tackle Christian Barmore, who accused officers of racism following a nearly hourlong traffic stop on Wednesday.
The department has since released body camera footage from the stop, which lasted about 45 minutes.
Police said Barmore, 25, with three traffic violations accusing him of operating an unregistered vehicle, improperly displaying a license plate and driving with expired registration. They also said the NFL star was “belligerent” and “had an attitude towards police.”
Barmore took to social media and wrote, “I just experienced for the first time 5 Providence cops being very unprofessional racism at it’s finest.” The X post has since been deleted.
Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez said the department takes public concerns “very seriously and with the utmost professionalism,” according to an official statement.
“In this particular case, the vehicle in question was found to be unregistered during a routine traffic stop, which is a violation of the law. The officer acted in full compliance with department protocols and state regulations. We understand that any encounter with law enforcement can be stressful, however, it’s important to note that officers are required to enforce all applicable laws, including those related to vehicle registration. We will continue to review the situation to ensure that proper procedures were followed and to maintain transparency with the public.”
Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez
The incident comes about a month after a separate contentious interaction between another NFL star and police in Florida.
In September, a Miami-Dade police officer handcuffed Dolphins’ wide receiver Tyreek Hill and placed him face down on a street outside the team’s stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, during a traffic stop for speeding and reckless driving.
The traffic stop
Officers stopped Barmore Wednesday while he was driving a Jeep Grand Cherokee in Providence, Rhode Island, according to an incident report obtained by NewsNation. Police said the vehicle “had window tint all around” and a plate cover that made it hard to read the temporary registration sticker on the back of the car.
They also accused Barmore of “slow rolling” officers when they turned on their emergency lights.
“This tactic is known to police by slowing down an intersection with police to hide any contraband or weapons,” an officer by the last name Dacosta wrote in the report. “It should also be noted that the area is known for high narcotic usage.”
Barmore is not accused of possessing or attempting to conceal a weapon or narcotics.
Throughout the interaction, officers said “Barmore had an attitude towards police. They went on to say he handed officers the vehicle’s paperwork “in an aggressive manner.”
Police say Barmore was ‘giving police an attitude’
Officers noted that the temporary registration on the car Barmore was driving had expired less than two weeks prior. He told police he didn’t have the updated registration and asked for a ticket, according to the incident report.
“It was at this time police advised Barmore that his vehicle was getting towed on scene and that we were going to perform a search of the vehicle as well,” Dacosta wrote.
It was not immediately clear why police towed or searched the vehicle. NewsNation reached out to the Providence Police Department for clarification on those details and additional context about the stop. The department responded with an official statement that did not address reporters’ questions.
Police search the vehicle
While Barmore was on the phone with his mom — arranging plans for a ride — he requested that a police sergeant come to the scene. Officers reportedly told Barmore that if he exited the car a sergeant would arrive. They also said he was reaching under his seat “attempting to conceal an object”
“It should be noted that while we were trying to get control of Barmore, he kept pushing away from police stating that he did not want to be touched,” Dacosta wrote.
Officers’ search of the Jeep revealed an ashtray and a “blunt” containing “unknown substances” and “what appeared to be several tubes filled with marijuana,” according to the report.
Barmore’s ride arrived about that time and he left. The officers left his summons, license and documents in the car “due to (Barmore’s) belligerent behavior and not wanting to stay on the scene.”
The Jeep’s information was linked to an expired registration out of Maine to someone with a different name, according to the report.
