Texas Cop Demands Papers, Smashes Window When He Doesn’t Get Them

ADDISON, Texas — A Texas police officer was recorded breaking a car window after a man refused to show his driver’s license.

Scott Richardson, 49, was pulled over on May 2 by a police officer for allegedly speeding in Addison. In the video, recorded from Richardson’s vehicle, the police officer asks Richardson for his identification. Richardson refuses, and over the course of approximately five minutes, the officer grows increasingly agitated, eventually smashing Richardson’s car window to remove him from the vehicle and place him under arrest.

Richardson was reportedly charged with failure to present his driver’s license, driving with an invalid license, and driving with expired license plates.

The description of the video, which appears to have been originally uploaded to YouTube by Richardson himself, states: “Brown v Texas – Officers CAN NOT demand a person to self identify unless then cops has seen them in a commission of a Felony.”

Richardson believes the ruling means he is not legally required to provide his identification, and explains this to the officer. When the officer disagrees, Richardson asks to speak to the officer’s supervisor. Rather than peacefully complying with Richardson’s request, the officer (whose name has not been released) violently escalates the situation by using a baton to break Richardson’s window and placing him under arrest.

Following the arrest, the officer gives his interpretation of the encounter to another cop who arrived at the scene.

“All he had to do was give me his driver’s license. He’s giving me that public of Texas crap saying I stopped him illegally and that I don’t have the right to obtain him.”

The video of the encounter is available below: