Body cam footage of Orlando Police Department officers pulling over Orange-Osceola State Attorney Aramis Ayala has unleashed a swarm of publicity and wide-ranging reaction over whether the stop was warranted, though both parties say it was lawful.
The video has made headlines because she has taken on a national profile after her announcement that her office would not seek the death penalty during her tenure.
Social media users have said she was targeted for the stop because she was black.
Ayala, Florida’s first elected African-American state attorney, said in a statement that she was leaving the Florida A&M University law school about 8:15 p.m on June 19 when she was pulled over by two officers.
The department routinely runs tags while on patrol, according to Orlando Police spokeswoman Michelle Guido, and Ayala’s did not come back as registered to any car.
The video shows the officers approaching the car.
Guido 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.”
Under Florida law, Ayala’s position allows her to have a confidential tag and window tint, Guido said.
During the stop, footage shows Ayala asking for the officers names. They tell her they do not have business cards on them but write down their names on a piece of paper and give it to her. Guido said officers are required to provide their information upon request.
“Although the traffic stop appears to be consistent with Florida law,” she said, “my goal is to have a constructive and mutually respectful relationship between law enforcement and the community.”
Guido said Police Chief John Mina “has been in contact with Ms. Ayala and looks forward to meeting with her as always.”
Ayala was not ticketed by police during the stop.
Ayala also said in her statement that reports of her filing a lawsuit against the Orlando Police Department for the traffic stop are false.
“The video has had more than 2 million views and produced a flood of misinformation,” Ayala said.
Some media outlets questioned the motivation of the stop by the officers, saying they pulled her over for no reason.
Shaun King, a civil rights activist and writer for the New York Daily News, shared the video with his followers this week. In a tweet posted with the video, he says, “Watch as Orlando Police struggle to give one reasonable explanation for why they just pulled over the only Black state’s attorney in Florida.”
The video has made headlines because she has taken on a national profile after her announcement that her office would not seek the death penalty during her tenure.
Social media users have said she was targeted for the stop because she was black.
Ayala, Florida’s first elected African-American state attorney, said in a statement that she was leaving the Florida A&M University law school about 8:15 p.m on June 19 when she was pulled over by two officers.
The department routinely runs tags while on patrol, according to Orlando Police spokeswoman Michelle Guido, and Ayala’s did not come back as registered to any car.
The video shows the officers approaching the car.
Guido 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.”
Under Florida law, Ayala’s position allows her to have a confidential tag and window tint, Guido said.
During the stop, footage shows Ayala asking for the officers names. They tell her they do not have business cards on them but write down their names on a piece of paper and give it to her. Guido said officers are required to provide their information upon request.
“Although the traffic stop appears to be consistent with Florida law,” she said, “my goal is to have a constructive and mutually respectful relationship between law enforcement and the community.”
Guido said Police Chief John Mina “has been in contact with Ms. Ayala and looks forward to meeting with her as always.”
Ayala was not ticketed by police during the stop.
Ayala also said in her statement that reports of her filing a lawsuit against the Orlando Police Department for the traffic stop are false.
“The video has had more than 2 million views and produced a flood of misinformation,” Ayala said.
Some media outlets questioned the motivation of the stop by the officers, saying they pulled her over for no reason.
Shaun King, a civil rights activist and writer for the New York Daily News, shared the video with his followers this week. In a tweet posted with the video, he says, “Watch as Orlando Police struggle to give one reasonable explanation for why they just pulled over the only Black state’s attorney in Florida.”