Georgia sheriff defends DSU lacrosse traffic stop that many decry as racial profiling

Days after Delaware State University’s student newspaper published a video and news article of an April traffic stop by Georgia deputies that many have since decried as racial profiling, the county sheriff denied any wrongdoing by his deputies.

In a public address Tuesday afternoon in Hinesville, Georgia – a small, southeastern Georgia city south of Savannah – Liberty County Sheriff William Bowman defended the stop, which occurred on April 20.

He said after speaking with deputies and reviewing video and other facts of the incident, he does "not believe any racial profiling took place."

"Before entering the motorcoach, the deputies were not aware that this school was historically Black or aware of the race or the occupants due to the height of the vehicle and tint of the windows," Bowman said.

"As a veteran, a former Georgia state trooper and the sheriff for this department, I do not exercise racial profiling, allow racial profiling or encourage racial profiling."

But many who were on the bus during the stop felt otherwise, saying there was no reason for deputies to search their belongings after stopping the bus for a minor traffic infraction. It was initially pulled over for traveling in the left lane, which certain large vehicles are not allowed to do in Georgia.

WHAT HAPPENED: DSU, state leaders "incensed" of Georgia incident

Bowman said Tuesday that "no personal items on the bus or person(s) were searched" – negating the accounts of multiple people on the bus at the time.

He also refused to take questions from reporters after reading an approximately six-minute statement.

DSU lacrosse stopped in Liberty County, GA

The April incident unfolded relatively quickly, after the motorcoach carrying Delaware State University's women's lacrosse team was stopped on I-95 north in Liberty County. Bus driver Tim Jones was initially told he was improperly traveling in the left lane.

After Jones pulled over, deputies used a K9 to circle the outside of the bus. They claimed the dog alerted them to narcotics, which they said gave them reason to search the bus.

Video taken by DSU player Saniya Craft shows a deputy who boarded the bus saying, “If there is anything in y’all’s luggage, we’re probably gonna find it, OK? I’m not looking for a little bit of marijuana, but I’m pretty sure you guys’ chaperones are probably gonna be disappointed in you if we find any.”

By that time, Liberty County Sheriff’s Office deputies had begun removing players’ bags from the vehicle’s cargo bay after asking Jones to open it. Deputies knew those on board were on a lacrosse team.

“If there is something in there that’s questionable,” the deputy speaking on the bus said, “please tell me now because if we find it, guess what? We’re not gonna be able to help you.”

In the days since the video was published, Delaware elected officials, university personnel, students and community members have said they are angry by the stop, with DSU President Tony Allen saying he is "incensed."

Pamella Jenkins, who coaches the team, told Delaware Online/The News Journal the incident was “very traumatizing” and credited the lacrosse players for staying “composed.”

She said when team members saw their luggage being removed before a deputy had begun his explanation, they were stunned.

“The infuriating thing was the assumption of guilt on their (deputies') behalf,” Jenkins said. “That was what made me so upset because I trust my girls.”

“One of my student-athletes asked them, ‘How did we go from a routine traffic stop to narcotics-sniffing dogs going through our belongings?’” she added. “The police officer said that on this stretch of highway there are a lot of buses that are smuggling people and narcotics and they have to be diligent.’”

On Tuesday, Bowman acknowledged some of the concerns, saying in "this current environment, even a traffic stop can be alarming to citizens, especially African-Americans."

He said that is "why we make an effort to have a diverse department and hire people who believe in community policing and respect for all individuals.”

However, all deputies on and outside the bus were white, photos and video from the incident show. Most, but not all, of the players and coaches on the bus were Black.

Delaware State University did not immediately have a statement about the sheriff's comments, but said previously it has "reached out to Georgia Law Enforcement and are exploring options for recourse – legal and otherwise – available to our student-athletes, our coaches, and the university.”

The incident did not come to light publicly until a story appeared in DSU’s student publication The Hornet Newspaper and its website thehornetonline.com late last week. It was written by Sydney Anderson, a sophomore lacrosse player who was on the bus.

Delaware State University officials had been conducting their own “extremely meticulous” examination of what happened and what steps to take but were doing so at a deliberate pace, school spokesman Steve Newton said, because there were no arrests and planning for Saturday’s annual commencement demanded attention.

That included several meetings with the lacrosse team and discussions with the Delaware Department of Homeland Security. DSU officials were not aware, however, of the existence of video from the incident until the story appeared on the school newspaper’s website. That’s when they realized the traffic stop was by Liberty County Sheriff’s Office deputies and not Georgia state patrol.

This is a developing story. Return to delawareonline.com for updates.

Contact Kevin Tresolini at ktresolini@delawareonline.com and follow on Twitter @kevintresolini. Support local journalism by subscribing to delawareonline.com.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: DSU lacrosse: Georgia sheriff denies wrongdoing following bus search