God (or whatever else your believe in) forbid you are stopped by a cop in the States and god forbid that officer happens to be someone like South Carolina Highway Patrol Lance Cpl. R.S. Salter; you’ll go from citizen to a dangerous criminal suspect faster than the 707hp Hellcat accelerates the Challenger from zero to 60.
Just watch this video of state trooper Salter arresting Cincinnati Bengals defensive lineman Sam Montgomery during a traffic stop last week for going 89mph (143km/h) on a 55mph (89km/h) road in Laurens County in his Dodge Challenger. Yes, he was speeding, but what happened next is completely head-scratching.
The footage from the police cruiser, which was released after an open records request by The Associated Press, shows Salter giving the 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m), 260 lb (118 kg) NFL player erratic orders and when the lineman gets confused, he tells him that if he cannot comply, “the next thing you’re going to get is the Taser”.
“Whoa,” says a nervous Montgomery, “I’m not trying to cause problems.”
While Montgomery was booked and spent the night in jail before getting released on a $355 bond, the story doesn’t end there, as according to NY Daily News, Salter was suspended by the Department of Public Safety last Thursday, pending an investigation on his conduct.
Agency spokeswoman Sherri Iacobelli said in a statement that Salter was right to arrest Montgomery for a speeding violation in excess of 25mph, but added that his “behavior during the traffic stop of Mr. Montgomery was not representative of professionalism displayed by our troopers and officers every day around the state.”
By John Halas
VIDEO