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The Dearborn, Michigan police department will undergo training to improve
interactions with people who have HIV/AIDS after an officer's reaction toward a
woman with the disease during a traffic stop, according to a report in The
Detroit News.
“We take these matters very
seriously,” Police Chief Ronald Haddad said, adding the incident is being
investigated this week. “We want our officers to be peak performers and a
complete review will occur.”
The incident occurred on August 3 in
Dearborn and was videotaped by the police car’s dashboard video camera and
obtained by the American Independent, a national news network. The video was
posted on YouTube last month.
In the nearly 30-minute clip, the
officer is recorded telling Shalandra Jones, who is HIV-positive, and her
companion he was ticketing them because he was “aggravated” that Jones hadn't
disclosed her HIV status before he searched their SUV. Jones' companion, who
was driving, was stopped for a broken tail light, the American Independent reported.
The officer repeatedly mentioned his fear of being exposed to HIV and at one
point says: “I don't want to catch something… I don't want that (expletive). I
got a family.”
Detroit Legal Services is
representing Jones and attorney Joshua L. Moore, president of the firm, said
the officer's actions were “shocking, outdated, and illegal.”
“Officers of the law are here to
protect and serve, not harass and humiliate. The Dearborn Police Department
must immediately commit to HIV education and sensitivity training for all its
employees in order to even begin correcting this horrible wrong,” Moore
continued. “There is no legal obligation to disclose an HIV status during a
routine traffic stop. This is a clear case of civil rights violations and
discrimination due to ignorance.”
Advocates say the chief's effort to
educate officers about AIDS will help change misconceptions about the disease.
“Myths about the real risks, routes, and consequences of HIV transmission
remain an enormous challenge to effectively addressing the epidemic,” said Sean
Strub, co-chair for the Global Network of People Living with HIV-North America.
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
