The vice mayor of a Florida community dropped an F-bomb while rebuking a police officer who pulled her over for alleged speeding but only issued her a warning.
A video of the April incident was posted to YouTube last week. It shows a traffic stop that took place in Fort Lauderdale involving Democratic Pompano Beach Vice Mayor Beverly Perkins.
“What’s going on tonight?” the officer says as he walks up to the white Audi Perkins was driving.
WARNING: The following contains language that some viewers will find offensive.
“Nothing,” Perkins says.
“Nothing? You’re driving crazy,” the officer replies.
The officer tells Perkins she was speeding, then asks for her driver’s license. After going to his patrol vehicle, he returns to her car.
“Ms. Perkins, you need to slow down, OK? There’s going to be … a warning about speeding, OK?” the officer says. “Did you hear what I said?”
Perkins does not reply.
“Did you hear what I said? You’ve got to slow down. I’m writing you a warning for speeding tonight, OK?” the officer says.
“I am Vice Mayor Beverly Perkins from the city of Pompano Beach. Y’all need to find something better to f***ing do,” Perkins says as she speeds off.
In a Facebook post, the National Fraternal Order of Police said, “Vice Mayor Perkins, we hope you were just having a bad day when you told this Ft. Lauderdale officer to ‘find something better to F*****g do.’ Maybe apologize to the officer who was just doing his job? Im sure this officer would be glad to have you do a few ride alongs with him or other officers to understand what they face every day.”
The Fort Lauderdale FOP posted on Facebook, “Madam Vice Mayor Beverly Perkins, instead of attacking the hard-working Fort Lauderdale Police Department Officers and resorting to using profanity, we suggest you apologize and then sign up for some ride alongs to see what they do every day to protect the citizens of our great city.
“As an elected official, you too are held to a higher standard and should know better. If that is not something you can bring yourself to do, we suggest you obey the speed limit and seek anger management. ”
“Furthermore, we would like to commend the [Fort Lauderdale Police Department] Officer for his professionalism and dedication to duty in keeping our community safe,” the post read.
Perkins issued an apology at a Tuesday city commission meeting, saying she “complied with instructions from the police officer,” according to WPLG-TV.
“If any exchange on my part, the conversation with the police officer, is perceived as being disrespectful, then I do apologize,” she said.
Barbara Stern, an attorney representing the Fort Lauderdale police union, criticized Perkins at the meeting.
“You were not gracious. You were not apologetic,” Stern said. “You were rude, unprofessional and disrespectful.”
When asked if she had any further comment, Perkins said, “I’ve made my statement at the beginning of the meeting and that was it.”
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