Black Driver Sues Over Montgomery Police Stop

An African American martial arts instructor filed a federal lawsuit yesterday against Montgomery County and a county police officer, alleging that he was pulled over and handcuffed because he is black.

Terrance Anthony Robinson, 49, was stopped about 10:30 a.m. Jan..14 on Colesville Road in Silver Spring as he was on his way to his studio, Jow Hop Kuen Gung Fu Academy.

The lawsuit is the second in a week against Montgomery police claiming racial profiling. A Prince George's restaurateur filed a suit last week contending that he was stopped, searched and arrested because he is black.

"It is disturbing that it appears that the Montgomery County police are using 1950s tactics to illegally stop, handcuff and search black men without legal reason or just cause," said lawyer Jimmy A. Bell, who represents both men.

A spokesman for the police department said the officer named in the suit would not comment. Patricia Via, a lawyer with the a lawyer with the Montgomery County Attorney's Office, said the county takes allegations of racial profiling seriously. She said she could not comment in detail about the lawsuit because she hadn't had a chance to review the case closely.

"We're going to defend them vigorously," Via said. "I have no evidence to show me that they've done anything wrong."

She added, "Quite frankly, I find it interesting that within a week we get two cases with similar allegations from the same attorney."

Robinson, of Lanham, said in the suit that he did not commit a traffic infraction before being pulled over.

Officer Laura Paletto, who stopped him, wrote in an incident report that she was running tags on Columbia Pike and New Hampshire Avenue and stopped Robinson after a search for his tag -- T ROB -- indicated "a wanted hit did come back to the owner of the vehicle."

Robinson alleges Paletto asked him to step out of his car, frisked him and handcuffed him. He also said he was kept in handcuffs about an hour and that officers declined initially to tell him why he was being detained.

"He said he felt like he was less than a human being," Bell said. He said his client, who is a retired federal employee with top security clearance, told him he chose to pursue legal action because he felt he was treated "like an animal."

Officers told Robinson that he had an outstanding warrant from Baltimore County, the suit says.

Paletto wrote in her report that she later "determined the hit may in fact be for a sound alike and not the actual owner who was wanted." She also wrote that she "explained to Robinson that a mistake was made, apologized, and explained that this incident would be documented."

The Justice Department investigated allegations of racial profiling by Montgomery officers during the late 1990s. The investigation led to an agreement that requires officers to thoroughly document traffic stops and mandates that officers must tell people why they are being pulled over or arrested.