Obama On Racial Profiling: I've Been Pulled Over For No Reason, Too

Data shows African Americans are singled out by police.

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama said Tuesday that he knows racial profiling by police is a real concern -- in part because he's experienced it firsthand.

During a Chicago event with law enforcement officials, the president recalled times when he'd been pulled over in his car by police.

"Most of the time I got a ticket, I deserved it. I knew why I was pulled over," Obama said. "But there were times when I didn't."

He cited a report released this week showing that many African Americans have similarly been pulled over or frisked for no clear reason.

"The data shows that this is not an aberration," said Obama. "It doesn't mean each case is a problem. It means that when you aggregate all the cases and you look at it, you've gotta say that there's some racial bias in the system."

The president's remarks came during a longer speech in which he praised police chiefs for helping to bring down rates of violent crimes, and discussed bridging the divide between police and the communities they serve.

Powerful Black Lives Matter March In Washington

Popular in the Community

Close

What's Hot