Racial Profiling

[Skipperron]

Poor Nyjer and that really black guy Russell Martin. This is a story from the Pirates official site.



Nyjer Morgan found himself in the middle of a scene with Pittsburgh police outside of PNC Park in the early-morning hours that resulted from heavily tinted windows on Morgan's black SUV.
Morgan offered to bring three Dodgers players -- Russell Martin, Joe Beimel and Delwyn Young -- back to the Westin hotel after all had been at a nearby restaurant after the Pirates' 6-2 loss to Los Angeles on Tuesday. Just after leaving the parking lot, Morgan was pulled over by a city policeman on West General Robinson Street, which runs along the third-base side of the stadium.

According to Morgan, the officer informed him that the tint on his vehicle windows was too dark and violated the state law.

"I was texting in the back seat and before you know it, we're sitting on the curb and it's like, what's going on right now?" Martin said. "It was kind of cold and we're sitting there and I was just trying to get to the hotel to get some rest.

"I guess we fit the description pretty good -- we're in Pittsburgh, young, African-American driver, nice car. It was embarrassing."

The Pennsylvania Motor Vehicle Code seems a little loose in its explanation on what would be an appropriate level of tint for vehicle windows and doesn't cite a specific percentage, but precedent shows that a tint higher than 70 percent has often resulted in state citations.

Asked on Wednesday how dark his windows are, Morgan was not sure on the percentage.

When the officer asked Morgan to step out of the car, the Pirates' outfielder admitted he got agitated and lost his temper. Morgan said that all the players were searched. Morgan's SUV also was searched.

According to Morgan, the officer that first pulled him over called for backup -- about three other police cruisers -- during the search process.

In the end, Morgan was not issued a citation.

"I was just embarrassed," Morgan said on Wednesday. "It was really embarrassing since it happened right in front of the stadium."

Jenifer Langosch is a reporter for MLB.com. This s

 

[Skipperron]

I wondered how they could tell they were black if the windows were tinted. And they make it seem like there was a angry confrontation in this article and they this kept them here a long time but no mention was made about not having a tag on the vehicle.

Plus Beimel was a white player and Martin could pass for white. So only two players stood out as black men.

Here is a slightly different view from an LA paper.



Russell Martin, Delwyn Young and Joe Beimel shook their heads and giggled when asked about how they were pulled over, individually searched and forced to sit on a curb by a police officer outside of PNC Park the previous night.

The players were at a late-night spot across the street from the ballpark that describes itself as being perfect for a "pregame meal or postgame drink" and accepted a ride back to their hotel by Pirates outfielder Nyjer Morgan. According to the players, the officer told them that Morgan's black SUV was stopped because the front windows were tinted. The recently purchased vehicle also didn't have a license plate.

Morgan said he produced paperwork to show that the tinted windows were within legal limits and that the vehicle was registered, prompting the officer to let them go.

"Nice car, young African-American driver, we're in Pittsburgh -- we fit the description," Martin said. "It was embarrassing, I'll tell you that."

Beimel, who is white and used to live in a Pittsburgh suburb, said he was once pulled over in the area because he had tinted windows. He didn't think this was a case of racial profiling.

"I don't think they could see them," Beimel said. "The windows were tinted."

2009 schedule released

 

[Skipperron]

Do something wrong and you are black, you always have an excuse.

 

[Van_Slyke_CF]

Skipperron: I read the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette almost daily, and when you see the number of crimes committed every day by blacks in the city, why shouldn`t the cops be suspicious of a young black driving a car with perhaps too much tint in the windows?

Nyjer Morgan sucks anyway.

 

[Skipperron]

Oh but Nyjer is the face of the Pirates. Why they have two or three stories a day telling us so. Plus he has a great smile. and his mom and dad are really great people. Plus don't you know he played hockey?

Why that is why, even after 6-7 years playing baseball he is still learning.

 

[LabMan]

How many of us have purchased new vehicles,and would never consider driving them without a license plate?