NewsOne, November 2021
A federal judge in Portland, Maine ruled that evidence found by state troopers during a traffic stop cannot be used in court because officers racially profiled a black motorist before pulling him over. According to authorities, in August 2019, Trooper John Darcy pulled over a black motorist driving through York, Maine. Police seized about 140 grams of cocaine, 880 counterfeit prescription pills, and a fully loaded gun from the car during the stop. But moments before the stop, Darcy was recorded telling another officer through walkie-talkie that the black motorist had dreadlocks, looked like a “thug,” and had on a wifebeater. Monday the U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen ruled that the initial stop was unconstitutional because Darcy racially profiled the black motorist and none of the evidence collected could be used in the case.
What seemed like a slam dunk case filled with tons of incriminating evidence was now looking like a disaster for the prosecution. The decision could lead to the dismissal of all charges in the case.
