Footage of a traffic stop involving Aramis Ayala, the first (and only) black state attorney in Florida, has gone viral amid questions over the officers' reasoning for pulling her over. Video of the traffic stop was first shared by the Orlando Police Department "as part of a public records request," NBC News reported Thursday. The clip has since made its way to Twitter, where it's accumulating thousands of retweets:
Under Florida law, it is permitted to conduct a traffic stop if an officer believes that the window tint is too dark, or when a tag, under initial contact does not contain information. The officer conducted this lawful traffic stop, and then identified the driver. Only upon identification of the driver, under Florida Law, the position she holds permits a confidential tag and window tint. Once the officer identifies her and that she is under the exemptions, it was only then determined that she did not commit any violation and this concluded the stop. Officers are required to provide their information upon request, which the officers did.
"What agency are you with?" one of the officers asks Ayala, who had just left the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University after teaching a law class. "I'm the state attorney," Ayala says. After the officer tells Ayala that her license plate failed to show up as a registered vehicle, Ayala asks "What was the tag run for?" The officer responds, telling Ayala that's "how we figure out if cars are stolen."
The officer also suggests that the windows on the vehicle are tinted beyond legal limits, a remark that prompts a smile from Ayala. "You guys have cards on you?" she asks the officers. In lieu of cards, one of the officers jots down both names and hands the paper to Ayala. No ticket was written.
In a statement following the release of footage from the Jun. 19 traffic stop, Ayala confirmed that the windows were tinted within the limits of Florida law, and noted that the plate's registration was kept "confidential" because of her position. "Although the traffic stop appears to be consistent with Florida law, my goal is to have a constructive and mutually respectful relationship between law enforcement and the community," Ayala said, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
In a statement to Complex, an Orlando Police Department rep said the "running of tags for official business only" is routine. "In regards to the video, which was released by the Orlando Police Department last month, the officers stated the tag did not come back as registered to any vehicle," the rep said. "As you can see in the video, the window tint was dark, and officers would not have been able to tell who, or how many people, were in the vehicle." The department said no complaint had been filed regarding the stop, adding:
Ayala made headlines earlier this year after she received a racist message and a green twine noose in the mail. A month prior to receiving the threatening pieces of mail, the Sentinel reported, Ayala had announced that she would not be seeking the death penalty against "any defendant," including Markeith Loyd. Loyd is accused of killing an Orlando officer.
