Attorney Contests Detention, Search Of Black Man At Syracuse Highway Exit

NEBRASKA CITY – The attorney for a black Missouri man told an Otoe County court Monday he intends to contest the detention of his client and search of his vehicle at Syracuse.

An Otoe County sheriff’s deputy arrested 28-year-old Anthony Crawford on May 24 after following Crawford from the four-lane Highway 2 near Road 18 about six miles into Syracuse. The deputy told the court he then waited as Crawford and a passenger went into a Dollar General store near the exit and made contact with Crawford when he came out.

Noerrlinger: “I’m contesting the detention in this matter specifically because I want to argue that there was not reasonable, articulable suspicion to believe that he was involved in any type of criminal activity.”

 

Noerrlinger said the search and further detention were not within the bounds of Constitutional limits on police powers.

Noerrlinger: “It was impermissible to hold him there to search his vehicle.”

Noerrlinger said he does not expect the state to argue that race was a factor in the detention and search.

Noerrlinger: “I think what they are going to talk about are things about out-of-state plated vehicles, route of travel and articulating that, but I’ve always found in these cases involving narcotic transactions that a large majority of the individuals involved tend to be people of color and minorities and that’s what I’ll say about that.”

Otoe County Attorney Jennifer Panko-Rahe said she intends to speak with the deputy to prepare against the motion to suppress.

She said race is not a factor in the case, but it is likely that the deputy was suspicious because of the license plates, use of a rental car or some other circumstance.

In his arrest affidavit, the deputy said he asked dispatch for information about the license plates while the car was traveling on Highway 2, but was informed that New York motor vehicle records were not available at that time.

The deputy said he asked Crawford for the vehicle registration information when he came out of the store and said he detected the odor of marijuana when Crawford retrieved paperwork.

Crawford is charged with possession of more than a pound of marijuana and possession of a firearm while committing a felony.

The arrest was one day prior to the death of George Floyd while in custody of the Minneapolis police. The death triggered protests in 140 cities and led the activation of the National Guard in at least 21 states.

A 2001 Nebraska law says that racial profiling is a practice that presents a great danger to the fundamental principles of a democratic society.