2 Black Pastors Claim They Were Racially Profiled In Waukesha

WAUKESHA, WI -- Waukesha County Sheriff Eric Severson says that deputies did not employ any racially-motivated behavior during a May traffic stop involving two black pastors. The pastors say they felt "violated" during the encounter and claim they were the subjects of racial profiling.

According to a Journal Sentinel report, Baptist ministers Demetrius Williams and John Patterson suffered a flat tire on the boat trailer they were towing through Waukesha County. They pulled over on the shoulder of I-94 in Brookfield.

According to accounts, a Waukesha County Sheriff deputy stopped on the shoulder where they were stuck.

According to the report, the pastors initially felt that the help they needed had finally arrived, but instead, they reported that the deputy asked whether there were any drugs or guns in the vehicle, demanded to see their licenses and then left the scene after putting an orange sticker on their boat.

"We were just stranded," Williams said in a Journal Sentinel report. "We drove home feeling violated," Patterson said.

Common Ground Demonstrates

Common Ground, a faith-based organization, reported Monday that they are looking into the incident to learn more about possible racial profiling as a result of the incident.

They are asking other drivers to share their stories about their encounter with Waukesha County Sheriff's deputies under #waukeshasheriffstories

Common ground held a demonstration on Monday at 10:30 a.m. outside the Sheriff's office on W. Moreland Blvd.

During Monday's announcement, Common Ground said they delivered a letter to the sheriff’s department asking for more information about the incident. Waukesha County Sheriff Eric Severson issued a statement Monday morning, saying that they took the claim that the two pastors were racially profiled seriously. He also stated that members of Common Ground had already been offered access to the Sheriff's full investigative report related to the May encounter.

"No violations of policy, training or procedure have been uncovered during this investigation. I have reasonably concluded that no evidence exists that actions taken by deputies were motivated by race. No detention, arrest, use of force, or other unprofessional conduct has been identified," the Sheriff said.

Image Via Shutterstock