Update: Lynx Basketball Star Cried Foul on Traffic Stop, Now Says Issue Resolved
Seimone Augustus tweeted she was stopped for air freshener hanging from rear-view mirror; Police say the incident was a routine traffic stop for public safety.
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Update (Wednesday evening, Oct. 10):
Minnesota Lynx star Seimone Augustus says that after talking today with Roseville Police Chief Rick Mathwig, she is ready to put a controversial traffic stop she experienced this week in the city behind her and is now focused on preparing for the WNBA Finals, according to an Associated Press report.
''We had a great conversation on the phone and went over the incident,'' Augustus said after practice, the AP noted. ''It's just something that happens. It's a mishap that happened. Both parties were angry about what happened and it's a move on. We're settled and we're moving on from here.''
(Original post: Monday afternoon, Oct. 8) Minnesota Lynx basketball star Seimone Augustus cried foul Monday (Oct. 8) for being stopped by a Roseville police officer for technically violating a traffic regulation, having an air freshener hanging from the rear-view mirror of her car.
Roseville Police this afternoon characterized the incident and warning to Augustus as a routine traffic stop meant to be pro-active in promoting safe public driving.
The traffic stop occurred Monday morning on a street near Rosedale Center, the day after Augustus and her teammates had returned from a road trip clinching another berth into the WNBA finals.
On her Twitter page, Augustus tweeted, "Supposedly he (Roseville police officer) stop me for an air freshner hanging in my window, but then went on talking about theft at the mall, '' Minnesota Public Radio reported.
In successive tweets, Augustus said "And the fact that my car was at the mall with out of town plates, WTH I thought this was a free country! didn't know you can only drive minnesota cars to a minnesota mall and if not you must be stealing or doing something illegal."
Augustus' Tweets prompted media phone calls to the Roseville Police Department. The department issued the following statement regarding the incident.
"At approximately 10:30 a.m. today (Monday, Oct. 8), an officer of the Roseville Police Department stopped a vehicle for having a suspended object between the driver and the windshield on Fairview Avenue at Highway 36.
The driver of this vehicle was identified by a Louisiana photo driver’s license as Seimone Augustus.
During the course of this traffic stop, the officer talked with the driver about the violation, questioned Augustus about her status in Minnesota since she had out of state vehicle license plates and driver’s license.
The officer ultimately warned Augustus on the violation of Minnesota Statute 169.71 Subd. 1(2) – suspended object.
One of the primary missions of the Roseville Police Department is the safe passage of motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians who use our city’s streets and thoroughfares.
An obstruction, such as an air freshener hanging from a car’s rear view mirror can obstruct the driver’s view of merging traffic or a pedestrian crossing at an intersection.
Another of the missions of the Roseville Police Department is the safety of our residents and visitors. Since February 2010, the Roseville Police Department has been very proactive with enforcement activities and visibility in and around Rosedale Center.
The department’s stop of Ms. Augustus earlier today took place on a street adjacent to Rosedale Center."
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jane whitlock
5:48 pm on Monday, October 8, 2012
That is adding insult to injury. Here you have the number 1 sports hero of our town and she not only gets no star treatment but this BS pull over! SORRY Seimone, from all Minnesotans!
Pete
5:56 pm on Monday, October 8, 2012
Shame on our Roseville Police. If it looks like profiling and smells like profiling it probably is profiling. Rationalize it any way you want but the air freshener dodge doesn't work.
Kelly Philippi
8:24 pm on Monday, October 8, 2012
That's Roseville police on weekday mornings. They are bored so they find lame things to do like what happened to Seimone or sitting on the entrance ramps to 36 waiting for cars without passengers to use the carpool lane. That said, Roseville police are typically great and really care for the city.
Jill Zats
9:01 pm on Monday, October 8, 2012
I have driven hundreds of times in Roseville and have multiple things hanging from my mirror. I have never been stopped! This is blatant profiling. The officer should investigated and identified. Seimone- I am so sorry this happened. You are our #1 sports star and stand by you 100%!
Susan
10:05 pm on Monday, October 8, 2012
So bad! I will take all my shopping far away from Roseville in protest.
Billy Storm
9:19 am on Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Give our officers a break! They are doing their job. I don't care if you're President Obama, if you're violating a statute, you should at least be notified. It's all for our safety!
Those who are assuming the officer was racially profiling are stereotyping and prejudging themselves!!
shan
10:23 am on Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Really Billy Storm, You must not know much about law enforcement and how officers operate. It was just that, a reason to pull her over in hopes of finding some thing more to violate her on.... Officers do it all the time, and as a fellow family member of law enforcement, its the truth.
Paul Lareau
9:22 am on Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Good grief! I have lived in Minnesota since 1973, and honestly I have never heard that hanging things from the rear-view mirror was prohibited here or even mentioned in the laws or driving safety tips. I don't have anything like that, but I sure did back in the 1960's when lots of folks had dice, fluffy animals, or odor-eaters.
Janice Brumlow
11:55 am on Tuesday, October 9, 2012
What about all those folks with the handicap plastics hanging on their rear view mirrors. I see ALOT of those going down the road and that is MUCH LARGER than an air freshener, yet those people don't get stopped. And what about those officers that run red lights, or turn their lights on to run a red light then shut them off after clearing the intersection? That's breaking the law as well... by those that are suppose to inforce the law... What a joke!!! Do as I say, not as I do situation... and you wonder why people don't respect police officers like they use to. The law doesn't pertain to them... just us!
Coach Fox
3:35 pm on Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Wow you people are INSANE!!! Wasnt she given a warning??? Isnt it a state statute?? Why does the public think they can determine who gets stopped and who does not? I love how you people think because she is in the WNBA she can do whatever she wants. Shouldnt everyone have to abide by the same rules. And K.L, Mildon what basis do you have that Roseville cops are profilers? top 3 in the state. I do not live in Roseville but everytime I have been to the mall or out and about I feel safe in the city seeing how involved they are. AGAIN I BELIEVE SHE WAS GIVEN A WARNING!!!!!!!
Lee Roberts
1:17 pm on Wednesday, October 10, 2012
To bad for her. I think she got pulled ove due to her out of state plates. And then a out of state liscene. Prehaps she should get a current MN liscene and state plate, after all she is living in the state.
Kelly Philippi
8:42 am on Thursday, October 11, 2012
Seimone is a resident of Louisiana and only is in Minnesota during the basketball season. Clearly it isn't practical to get new license plates twice a year (once in each state). In any case, having out of state plates isn't a crime nor is it really all that out of the ordinary. If police pulled over everyone with out of state plates they wouldn't have time to do anything else.
John Kysylyczyn
8:46 am on Thursday, October 11, 2012
From driving around Rosedale for several years, I would have to disagree. I don't see much more there than MN and WI license plates. The PD could pull over every car with way out of state license plates and it would barely make a dent in their schedule. But that is beside the point, the car was pulled over because of a violation. I doubt every way out of state car drives around with easy to notice equipment violations.
John Kysylyczyn
5:28 pm on Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Let's get back to reality folks. In response to Paul Lareau, I have a relative that was pulled over for having a graduation tassel hanging from the rear view mirror. That was 1970. The law has been on the books for at least 42 years. The dice you are talking about is from the 1950's, before seat belts were even required in automobiles. The law wasn't passed because the legislature dislikes air fresheners. It was passed because it is a distraction and increases driving errors. Well it certainly doesn't help does it?
Maybe people should look at this from the position of law enforcement for just a tiny moment. You are at the highest retail crime magnet in the north metro area, or as we more commonly call it, Rosedale. Thefts occur daily. A vehicle is driving around the mall and has out of state plates, not out of state like 30 minutes away in Wisconsin, but out of state like a 4 day drive away. Then you have something illegal hanging from the rear view window. Officer makes a legal stop. Asks some questions. That officer is doing his/her job. It appears that the NBA star was let go pretty quickly. These theft rings do come from out of state. Not hard to see how the dots could be connected. The stop was reasonable.
As a side comment, why is someone who works the majority of time in Minnesota driving a vehicle that is registered in Louisiana? Probably has a Louisiana driver's license? Doesn't she have a residence in Minnesota?
Raj
7:56 pm on Wednesday, October 10, 2012
I don't understand what is so big deal about this. She was pulled over for her own safety and others. She did get warning didn't she? All of you here have too much time in your hand to make something so small a huge thing. Put yourself in her shoe. If you've gotten pulled over and cop gave you legit reason why you being pulled over and let you go with a warning. Cop just wanted her and others to be safe. Cop is an Asian guy and she just happen to be African American. Millions of people out there get pulled over and nobody know or cares. Don't give cop a reason to be pull you over! Now would all this happen if our SO lynx player was white? I thought so. Please BE POSITIVE and move on.