Police video appears to contradict Taraji P. Henson's claim her son was racially profiled

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Twitter
• Share via Email
• Copy Link

  Link Copied

Earlier this week, actress Taraji P. Henson made headlines after revealing that her 20-year-old son, Marcell Johnson, was racially profiled in Glendale, California, where he was stopped by police.

“My child has been racially profiled. He was in Glendale, California, and did exactly everything the cops told him to do, including letting them illegally search his car. It was bogus because they didn’t give him the ticket for what he was pulled over for,” she said in an interview with Uptown Magazine.

Today the Los Angeles Times has released police video which seems to counter the Oscar-nominated actress’ claims that her son was racially profiled.

The footage from Oct. 18 shows the officer driving in traffic about 10:10 p.m. in Glendale when Henson drives through a lighted crosswalk as a person walks across.

When the officer approaches the car, Johnson hands the officer his insurance information and says he’s never been arrested. He says his name is Marcell Johnson, and his mother is actress Taraji P. Henson.

Johnson later confesses to the officer that he is in possession of state-issued medical marijuana (but couldn’t find his marijuana license), and a prescription pill, Ritalin, that a friend gave him.

“You know you’re not supposed to have that, right?” the officer told him.

Johnson then let the officer search his car.

He later revealed to officers that he had smoked marijuana two hours before driving, at which point a sobriety test was performed. He passed the test.

The officer appeared to cut Johnson a break by giving him a citation for possessing marijuana, instead of a traffic violation which would have more damaging effect to his driving record.

“I am not going to give you a citation for running that yellow because that would actually put a moving violation on your driving license, and you are going to have to go to traffic school and all that stuff, so I am helping you by not giving you a violation on it. All I am going to do is take the weed from you,” he said.

Henson’s publicist, Pam Sharp, responded to the LA Times article, saying, “We have said all and wish to protect her son’s privacy.”