Raleigh NAACP leader speaks in support of Black man pepper-sprayed by police officers during traffic stop

Gerald D. Givens, the President of the Raleigh-Apex chapter of the NAACP, emailed a statement to media outlets condemning the actions of police officers who pulled over Caron Nazario, a Black and Latino man. During the exchange, officers drew their guns, pointed them at Nazario and used a slang term to suggest he was facing execution before pepper-spraying him and knocking him to the ground.

“As President of the Raleigh-Apex NAACP and a U.S. Air Force, retired veteran of two foreign wars, I stand in solidarity with President Valerie Butler of the Isle of Wight chapter of the NAACP in support of Second Lieutenant Caron Nazario, U.S. Army," Givens said.

"These kind of situations have to stop," said Givens, who served in the U.S. Air Force.

Windsor Police Officer Daniel Crocker radioed he was attempting to stop a vehicle with no rear license plate and tinted windows. He said the driver was “eluding police” and he considered it a “high-risk traffic stop.” Nazario told officers he drove to a well-lit area “for officer safety and out of respect for the officers.”

Body camera footage showed Nazario was dressed in uniform with his hands held in the air outside the driver's side window as he told the armed officers, "I'm honestly afraid to get out.”

“Yeah, you should be!” one of the officers responded during the stop at a gas station.

Nazario said his constitutional rights were violated during the traffic stop. His complaint was the basis for a lawsuit filed recently.

"To our friends who stand with us for justice, we hold you in our hearts, working hand in hand. But to those who would do us wrong, we will hold you accountable to the fullest extent of the law until justice and freedom ring for all," Givens said.

"Law enforcement officers across the nation need to understand that, as Black and Brown people, many of us are understandably afraid during a routine traffic stop. When weapons are drawn and conflicting commands are issued, one wrong move in the eyes of the officers may cost our lives. Don’t put us into this untenable position. Think about us – because we want to go home to our families too,” Givens concluded.