Last February - yes, last February - a Hamden police officer tried to pull over a BMW for a red light violation when the driver allegedly took off. Cops say the driver led them on a chase, ending in the man's driveway where the officer ordered him out of his vehicle - as seen on the body cam footage - and the driver again resisted. Then came the "questionable" commentary.
"If you do something that you're not told you're gonna get shot!" yelled the cop.
The attorney representing the driver, who claims to not speak English, has responded in kind: "That is shocking to hear and it seems dangerous." To be sure, resisting arrest is dangerous, sir.
But it's what the sergeant on scene, which was caught on body cam, that has local Hispanic groups outraged.
"Three letters: I-C-E."
The outrage is perplexing. Someone who runs a red light, leads the police on a chase through suburban streets, refuses to ultimately get out of their car, and then says "no speak English" (one officer actually believes he can), might just be someone ICE is aware of, no? It's not an extraordinary leap. The officer didn't threaten deportation. He wondered aloud, to a colleague, if this was going to be an ICE situation. Let's see if it is.