You may have already seen this viral video of police officers conducting what appears to be a ticketing blitz in the middle of traffic at Metropolitan Avenue and Eliot Avenue on Tuesday afternoon.
Drivers stuck in the busy, congested intersection got hit with tickets for blocking the box, but witnesses say the officers unfairly asked them to wait and when the light turned red, the officers pounced.
From the video, a woman, who we’re assuming is Angie Taveras-Lamourt, who posted the video on Facebook, publicly chastises the officers:
“This is illegal what you’re doing. You’re stopping cars at a green light, and just when it turns, you all come over here to give a ticket. That’s illegal and you know it. You know it. This is improper. Now you’re going to come here and give this guy a ticket. You have to fix that light, that’s not right. You’re just going to give this poor man a ticket. That’s bull****.”
We got a call today from a Middle Village resident who identified himself as “Big Frank” who told us at least 15 cops were stationed there. Big Frank also said at least six cars were ticketed at the moment.
“One of them was directing traffic,” Big Frank said. “When the light changed, another cop starting zapping everyone’s window.”
“There was nowhere to move,” he added. “It’s a scam. This needs to be taken care of.”
Big Frank confirmed that the officers asked the cars to come forward, only to ticket them in the middle of traffic.
He has already contacted Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley’s office to see what can be done.
If you have a similar story to share, or if you were there on Tuesday afternoon, let us know by commenting below.
