Bluffton council member says husband was racially profiled in traffic stop
Bluffton Town Council member Bridgette Frazier alleged her husband was racially profiled Monday evening when he was pulled over by a Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office deputy.
Frazier, who was elected to the council in November and sworn in on Tuesday, said she and her husband were driving home separately from Longhorn Steakhouse at Tanger One Outlets when a deputy pulled over her husband, Warren Patterson, along Red Cedar Street in Bluffton.
Frazier and Patterson filed a complaint about the stop with the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday.
Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Maj. Bob Bromage said the complaint is being investigated.
“Residents and guests are encouraged to file complaints,” Bromage said. “We have a complaint process in place, and the process was followed. We’re going to review it and see it through.”
Frazier said the deputy told Patterson that he pulled him over because the couple’s black BMW had dealer tags and asked for Patterson’s identification.
When the officer came back to the car, he told Patterson that his vehicle identification number didn’t match the tag on record, Frazier said.
Frazier said she and Patterson told the deputy that they had just purchased the vehicle and that the title was being transferred from the previous owner.
She said the deputy asked for a bill of sale as proof that she owned the car and shined a light into the backseat of the car.
The deputy issued Patterson a warning for violation of vehicle registration.
Tuesday morning, Frazier and Patterson spoke with deputies at the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office and filed a complaint for profiling.
“We let them know we don’t have an issue complying with police,” Frazier said. “It was how he was stopped and the lack of communication and then everything that occurred during the stop.”
On Monday night, Frazier posted a Facebook Live video about the traffic stop. As of Wednesday, the video had over 1,000 views.
“When you have friends of color who are telling you their experiences, don’t diminish them,” Frazier said in the video. “See them in that moment for who they are and understand that, though you may not have experienced that, it in no way takes away from their experiences. I’m hoping in this conversation … everyone steps up, everyone stands up When you see things going on, be vocal about it.”
