Christian Barmore, a defensive tackle for the New England Patriots, found himself in a bit of trouble with the law this past week in Providence, Rhode Island. The 25-year-old was pulled over by local police and ended up receiving three traffic citations. These weren't just any tickets – he was cited for driving an unregistered car, not displaying his license plate properly, and running around with expired registration. All of this happened late at night, just before the clock struck 1:00 a.m. on Wednesday.
Following his run-in with the law, Barmore vented on X (formerly known as Twitter), making serious accusations against the officers involved. He claimed to have been treated unfairly due to racial bias, stating in a post that has since been removed, “I just experienced for the first time 5 Providence cops being very unprofessional racism at it’s finest.” This allegation sparked a heated discussion online and caught the attention of local news outlets.
The situation escalated when police explained their side of the story. They said Barmore's car slowly rolled after they signaled him to stop – a move they suggest could be an attempt to hide illegal items before facing law enforcement. The area where Barmore was stopped is reportedly known for drug activity, adding tension to the encounter.
Police described Barmore as confrontational during the stop which lasted around 45 minutes. At one point, they discovered that his vehicle's registration was expired and actually belonged to someone else from Maine. Additionally, officers found what seemed to be marijuana in his car.
In response to Barmore's accusations of racism, Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez made a statement emphasizing that the vehicle was indeed unregistered and that the officers acted according to protocol. He acknowledged that interactions with police can be stressful but stressed that laws regarding vehicle registration must be enforced.
To further counteract claims of unjust treatment, Providence Police released footage from the traffic stop showing their interaction with Barmore. In it, he is heard asserting his identity as a football player and threatening legal action if touched by an officer.
The Fraternal Order of Police in Providence also weighed in on Facebook saying that if Barmore had cooperated from the beginning, it would have been nothing more than a routine check by police. Their statement highlighted how non-compliance can unnecessarily escalate situations during traffic stops.
This incident has generated much conversation about athlete encounters with law enforcement and raises questions about fairness and procedure during such events.
Following his run-in with the law, Barmore vented on X (formerly known as Twitter), making serious accusations against the officers involved. He claimed to have been treated unfairly due to racial bias, stating in a post that has since been removed, “I just experienced for the first time 5 Providence cops being very unprofessional racism at it’s finest.” This allegation sparked a heated discussion online and caught the attention of local news outlets.
The situation escalated when police explained their side of the story. They said Barmore's car slowly rolled after they signaled him to stop – a move they suggest could be an attempt to hide illegal items before facing law enforcement. The area where Barmore was stopped is reportedly known for drug activity, adding tension to the encounter.
Police described Barmore as confrontational during the stop which lasted around 45 minutes. At one point, they discovered that his vehicle's registration was expired and actually belonged to someone else from Maine. Additionally, officers found what seemed to be marijuana in his car.
In response to Barmore's accusations of racism, Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez made a statement emphasizing that the vehicle was indeed unregistered and that the officers acted according to protocol. He acknowledged that interactions with police can be stressful but stressed that laws regarding vehicle registration must be enforced.
To further counteract claims of unjust treatment, Providence Police released footage from the traffic stop showing their interaction with Barmore. In it, he is heard asserting his identity as a football player and threatening legal action if touched by an officer.
The Fraternal Order of Police in Providence also weighed in on Facebook saying that if Barmore had cooperated from the beginning, it would have been nothing more than a routine check by police. Their statement highlighted how non-compliance can unnecessarily escalate situations during traffic stops.
This incident has generated much conversation about athlete encounters with law enforcement and raises questions about fairness and procedure during such events.
