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A traffic stop on Westfield is under investigation after a man said he was pulled over after flipping off a police officer. The traffic stop was recorded on Sunday, Aug. 6 and shared on YouTube where it has generated more than 370,000 views.
In the video, posted by LackLuster, a channel dedicated to police accountability, Officer Ayad Taha claims the driver, identified as "Nathan", was going 48 mph in a 35 mph zone, though this is disputed by Nathan's GPS. Nathan refuses to answer any of the officer's questions, while dashcam footage shows officers discussing what to issue him a citation for.
Nathan ended up being issued a ticket for careless driving and he intends to fight it in court, according to the video.
Westfield Police Chief Christopher Battiloro said the department is investigating and the incident was referred to the Internal Affairs/Professional Standards Unit.
"The allegations made in this video will be thoroughly and completely investigated, this to determine if the officer’s actions were lawful and proper," Battiloro said. "We hold our officers to the highest of standards and nothing less than that shall ever be accepted. If any mistakes were made and/or any violations of our standard operating procedures occurred, please rest assured that appropriate action will be taken."
To view the video, click here.
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