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OFFICERS ENGAGE IN UNUSUAL TRAFFIC STOP THURSDAY

Lincolnton Police officer Tony Potts has been a part of the force since late 2008. Photo by Jon Mayhew/The Carolina Scoop

By Jon Mayhew
LINCOLNTON

A Dallas woman becomes belligerent with Lincolnton Police officers after she’s stopped for having a homemade license tag on the back of her vehicle, claiming that officers from Gaston County and the North Carolina Highway patrol told her having the hand-written tag was OK.

Officer Tony Potts initiated the stop after the woman – identified as Donna Brown of Dallas – left the parking lot of Holt’s Family Restaurant on East Main Street.

According to Potts, the tag on the back of Brown’s gold Toyota Camry read “tag stolen 3/4/2009.”

“I and Sgt. Johnny Caudle were advised the tag was stolen out of Gaston County,” said Potts.

When Potts approached the vehicle and identified himself, Brown immediately told him she knew the license plate was stolen, that she had a police report.

“She also told me the Highway Patrol and Gaston County officers had checked out her license plate, that it was OK,” said Potts.

Potts report indicated Brown’s story then changed.

“She then told me authorities in Gaston County said it was OK to have a forged license plate on her car until she could get another one,” said Potts.

Potts and Sgt. Caudle tried to explain the truth to the woman, who was becoming increasingly belligerent to officers.

At one point, Brown accused officers of treating her like a “common criminal.”

“She said that she didn’t know what we were doing, but that we were wrong,” according to the report.

Officers unsuccessfully tried to talk to Brown, and after several minutes, Potts began writing Brown a citation for displaying a forged license plate.

That’s when Brown started suffering from a medical problem, telling officers she was having a diabetic seizure according to Sgt. Caudle.

Lincoln EMS was called and determined at the scene that Brown was fine. However, she was transported to Carolinas Medical Center Lincoln for observation.

Brown’s husband, unnamed in the report, came to the scene and confronted Potts, even threatening the officer at one point.

Sgt. Caudle told The Carolina Scoop Potts – a rookie on the force since late last year – handled himself professionally even in the face of being threatened by Brown’s husband.

“He didn’t lose his cool at all,” said Caudle. “He did great.”

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