April 04, 2015
Anthony Soto/Facebook
Anthony Soto responds to a 6 ABC report concerning his video of a traffic stop in a Facebook video.
Controversy surrounds a video of a traffic stop that occurred in Philadelphia.
Anthony Soto, 28, posted the video to his Facebook page on March 25 of him being pulled over by 15th district officers in Philadelphia. In the video, Soto tells police their traffic stop is invalidated, citing a medical exemption for his car's tinted window's and saying his headlight was not out as the officer suggests. Soto refuses to show police his vehicle registration in the video.
The video, which has over 1 million views on Facebook, was also posted to Youtube:
In a series of followup videos, Soto claims a supervisor never showed up as he requested and displays his car's headlights. Soto then says he will file a report on the incident.
6 ABC interviewed Soto about the incident. During the interview, ABC questioned him about his past, which includes convictions ranging from theft to fleeing from police. He also spent over two years in federal prison for straw purchasing firearms. Soto told ABC that they shouldn't be focusing on him or his past.
The interviewer also asked Soto if he was in fact a fire marshall, something he claims in the initial video. Soto would not answer questions regarding being a fireman. He was once convicted for impersonating a public servant.
Police told ABC that they are concerned about his criminal past and are advising the public not to use his video as an example of what to do when stopped.
In the interview, Soto claims the incident speaks to a larger problem of police racially profiling. Lt. John Stanford, an African American, told 6 ABC the officers who stopped Soto were black. Soto said they were not.
In a Facebook video, Soto claims the 6 ABC story was a "character assassination." Soto said, like in the interview, that the video isn't about him and again says it is about a bigger problem. He cites the supervisor not showing up to the incident as well as the damage to his speakers from the officer opening his car door.
Soto also brings the current trial of former Philadelphia Police officers being charged with corruption and the recent Department of Justice report that called for major reforms in the department concerning police-involved shootings.
6 ABC also reports that the Fraternal Order of Police is asking authorities to pursue charges against Soto for allegedly impersonating a public servant.
