CIBOLO, Texas – A man who lives in Cibolo said he was asked invasive and personal questions by police while being stopped for a minor moving violation.
Faaruwq Ali Muhammad said he only takes his 1962 Chevy Bel Air out for a spin about three or four times a year.
“I feel like it’s about keeping things of value, and this is going to appreciate,” Ali Muhammad said.
It’s an unusual old school station wagon he knows draws attention. But when the retired disabled Army veteran got pulled over for lacking a license plate light Friday, the focus shifted to questions he was being asked by Cibolo police officers.
“’Do you have a job?’ ‘Are you working now?’ That just — mind blow,” Ali Muhammad said about some of the questions officers asked.
Ali Muhammad said the officers also asked for his Social Security number, phone number and a picture.
“I said, ‘What’s that for? I’m not giving it,’” he said.
Throughout the whole ordeal, Ali Muhammad said the officers were friendly and let him off with a simple warning for the missing light, but he later took to social media to post concerns about the questions he was asked. The post went viral, with some voicing similar concerns.
Cibolo police didn’t hesitate to respond.
“There’s the traditional seven-step vehicle approach that officers go through,” said Matt Schima, public information officer for the Cibolo Police Department.
Schima said the procedure, which has been in place for years, is the same for all traffic stops, and the questions Ali Muhammad refused to answer were optional.
“The reason we need that information is to serve warrants and to tie to other cases,” Schima said.
Ali Muhammad, who wasn’t required to show up to court, said officers never told him the information was optional.
“At that point, I would’ve said no, and it would’ve eliminated any uneasiness,” he said.
Cibolo police are now investigating whether proper protocol was carried out
“I’m not sure about that. I have to go back and look at the video,” Schima said.
Ali Muhammad said he does not feel he was racially profiled and said his issue is with transparency regarding the policy in place.
Cibolo police said they’re glad to reexamine the procure to see if any changes need to be made. In the meantime, they invite anyone who feels uneasy at a traffic stop to request a supervisor.