Respected comrade targeted by racist police.

ALTON MCDONALD, activist, organizer and humanitarian, is dedicated to the liberation of his people from social, economic and political oppression. Mr. McDonald's civil rights activities expand into several arenas. In 1998, after serving 15 years in the Army, Mr. McDonald retired as a staff sergeant. It was at that time, that he decided to dedicate his life to uplifting the plight of African American people. Consequently, he ran for school board and mayor in his hometown of Tacoma Washington.
In 2002, he became a founding member of the Tacoma Branch of the National Action Network,(NAN), a civil rights organization started in 1991 by the Rev. Al Sharpton. He now serves as Vice President and legal redress specialist for the organization in Tacoma. Under the umbrella of NAN, and through his advocacy work, Mr. McDonald has helped countless individuals and organizations in the battle against police brutality, employment discrimination and government corruption.
Currently, he is motivating individuals for change in Middle Tennessee and Western Kentucky. For example, in Hopkinsville, he is exposing police brutality and abuse of inmates in Kentucky prisons. In Clarksville, he is helping African American faculty, staff and students challenge the Tennessee Board of Regents and Austin Peay State University for violating the historic desegregation case, known now as the Geier Consent Decree. In addition, he is aiding African American police officers who were subjugated to racial slurs and unfair employment pratices in the Clarksville Police Department.
Mr. McDonald is currently completing a Master's of Arts in Organizational Leadership at Chapman University in Tacoma and his future goals include law school and the organization of NAN chapters in the southern half of the United States.

Alton's statement:

On January 29, 2005, approximately 5:25 A.M. I was traveling North I-5, took the Auburn exit traveling 18 East with my signal flashing, I safely merged into the right lane. I observed a patrol in my far left lane approaching my vehicle. The patrol car passed my vehicle. I observed a female officer on the her cellular phone. To my surprised, the patrol vehicle cut me off (merged directly in front of my vehicle) without using a turning signal. I immediately applied my brakes to prevent rearing ending the officer's vehicle. I flashed my lights once at the driver to get her attention or to see if the officer was okay. The officer speed up and then applied her brakes. I immediately signaled, observed my left and safely change into the left lane. The officer now known to me as Brigette, Clary #0105.
Officer Clary applied her brakes and I eventually passed her patrol car and right thereafter, she turned her lights on. I immediately pulled my vehicle over to the right and stopped. While waiting for the officer, I secured my driver's license, car registration and insurance. I rolled my window down, holding my driver's license in my left hand. I called 911 because my intuition told me that this was going be a hostile contact. I requested a Sergeant through the 911 Operator to assist in the traffic stopped. The 911 Operator took my complaint and ask me where I was located, I told her I was just off I-5 on Highway 18 E going towards Auburn. The operator asked me for markers. I told her that there was just construction cones. The 911 Operator transferred my call to the Federal Way 911 Operator # 54. The operator informed me that a Lieutenant was on his way to assist. I saw officer Clary approaching my vehicle. To my surprise, officer Clary started banging on my window, yelling at me to get off the phone. I told officer Clary that I was talking with the 911 operator and requesting for a Sergeant because I fear for my life. She was very hostile, threatening and aggressive towards me for no apparent reasons. At no time did she requested so see my driver's license, car insurance or registration, even though, I had my driver's license in my hand. Officer Clary walked to the rear of my vehicle and had no further contact with me.
Officer Clary's actions made me in fear for my life. During the contact, officer Clary didn't ask me for my driver's license, car registration or insurance. Shortly, I observed another patrol vehicle arrived on the scene and parked behind officer Clary's patrol vehicle, and they were talking with each other. Thereafter, a unmarked patrol vehicle with flashing lights drove up and stopped in front of my vehicle.
The officer got out of his vehicle and as he approached my vehicle he started yelling at me in a hostile, threatening and aggressive manner to get out the vehicle. I was in fear of my life. I immediately opened my vehicle door and got out. The officer now known to me as Lieutenant Ed Fadler #23 (third officer on scene).
Lieutenant Fadler pointed and told me to walk to the rear of my vehicle where officer Clary was standing. Officer Steve Olson (second officer on the scene) was standing on the right passenger side to front of my vehicle looking at us. As I was walking to the rear of my vehicle, Lieutenant Fadler slammed my door so hard, it left a ringing in my ear for seconds which shook my vehicle.
Officer Clary stated to me that I wanted to fight her in the presence of Lieutenant Fadler. I told officer Clary that was impossible, because I was sitting in my vehicle talking with the 911 operator and holding my driver's license in my hand and waiting for her to take it and she refused.
Officer Clary told me to turn around and placed me under arrest and placed me in her patrol vehicle. Later, Lieutenant Fadler came over and opened the patrol vehicle door and asked me, "asked me if I was talking with the 911 operator? I told hi "yes". Also, he asked me, "why did I made a missing person report?" I told him, "I didn't".
Officer Clary transported me to the Federal Way Police station. Officer Clary didn't seat belt me in the vehicle and was driving very aggressively. Officer Clary didn't wear her seat belt during the transport. Upon arriving at the station, I got out the car and Officer Clary grabbed and pulled my right arm. I told the officer Clary that she was hurting me but she ignored me. Inside the building in the first hallway, I told officer Clary that I am human being and she shouldn't treat me in this manner. Officer Clary said to me, "no you are property and Chattel" (slave).
Officer Clary asked me if I wanted to fight her, because I am so buffed, and I think I am bad. I said to officer Clary, "why would I want to fight her".
Officer Clary stated to me that, "I threatened to kill a State Patrol Officer". A Caucasian male officer came from around the counter and handcuffed my left ankle to the bar and removed the handcuff from my hands. Officer Clary stepped into the cell room and removed my hat from my head and threw it on the floor and slammed the door.

Officer Clary charge me with "Reckless Driving".

Officer Manuell Mairs, #66, transported me to the Fife jail. The handcuffs were placed around my wrist very tight. Officer Mairs didn't seat belt me in the vehicle nor did he used his seat belt. At the Fife jail, I asked officer Champion #265 to take a picture of my wrists.
Officer Mairs took a telephone call and wrote another charge on my ticket, "refusal to give information or cooperate with officer".
Officer Olson stayed with my car until it was towed by North West Towing. I was booked into the Fife jail with a bond for my release. I spend $100.00 for my booking fee into the Fife jail, $600. 00 for my bond to get out of jail and $306.27 to North west Towing. The total cost for my racial profiling traffic stop cost me $1006. 27.

Allegations:

1. I was racially profile and stopped by officer Clary for no probable cause in violation of RCW 43.101.410

2. Officer Clary used racial derogatory slurs towards me, calling me property and Chattel (slave) in violation of my Civil Rights under 42 U.S.C 1983 and 1965

3. Officer Clary used racial offensive slurs towards me which is a direct violation of my Civil Rights 1964 Civil Right Act as Amended under Title VI

4. Officer Clary's unsafe operation of her patrol vehicle could have taken my life when she cut me off. She profile me after I flashed my high beam at her and pulled me over in violation of RCW 40.61.500

5. Officer Clary was angry at me for flashing my light her for cutting me off. She approached my vehicle in an hostile, threatening and aggressive manner banging on window and yelling at me to get of the phone

6. Officer Clary at no time asked me for my driver's license, vehicle registration or insurance car

7. Officer Clary transported and failed to buckled me into the car seat which put my life at risk, and in violation of the law RCW 46.61.688
8. Officer Clary made inflammatory statement about me, stating that, "I threatened to kill a State Patrol Officer".
9. Officer Clary arrested me illegally without probable cause in violation of my Constitutional Rights, IV and XIV Amendment of the United States Constitution