The citation Jabari Asim received for driving in Newton on June 22 without a license when he actually was at his desk in Boston was vacated at a hearing on Sept. 8. Asim told WGBH’s Jim Braude tonight that he’s waiting to meet with Newton Mayor Setti Warren and Newton Police Chief Howard Mintz
Jabari Asim waiting to speak to mayor, police chief
by Greg Reibman | Sep 14, 2015 | Newton | 9 comments
I’ve been wondering if Village 14 was going to post anything about this, since the Globe reported Sept. 9 that a clerk magistrate had vacated the citation.
https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/09/08/emerson-college-professor-wins-traffic-case-alleges-racial-bias-from-newton-police/f7Vbx2MJ1BD3QhioFjAmyI/story.html
Thanks mgwa. I was away last week and missed that. I’ve added the link to the thread.
You were away? Village 14 allows vacations? I’m shocked. 🙂
Yes I was in Needham.
And all joking aside, this is remains a very disturbing incident. Certainly, Asim is owed an explanation/apology from the city and those promised meetings with the mayor and chief. But I believe we are all entitled to know either how this happened and/or, more importantly, what’s being done to prevent it from happening again.
@mgwa – No we don’t! He called in sick last week. Greg could you stop by the HR Dept at your earliest possible convenience please.
@Greg – hope you’re feeling better!
It is very disturbing. When I read the officer’s explanation of how he decided the driver was nervous, my reaction was that in that case I should have been stopped multiple times. If looking straight ahead after making eye contact with the cop in the adjacent vehicle is suspicious, then I’m a very suspicious character.
The whole thing disturbs me. How can the officer get away with sticking to his statement, even under oath, that professor Asim was the driver of the car when there is much evidence he was not? Why wasn’t this dropped as soon as they saw the evidence?
I too was wondering if there would be a follow up and am happy to see it here.