Celebrity Justice
Why Jermaine Dupri Ended Up in a Cop Car

UPDATE: Dupri, who refused to return TMZ's call for comment, issued the following statement to another news outlet:

"Just to set the record straight, I was pulled over because the police said my exhaust pipes were too loud, I had tinted windows and platinum motor plates. Nothing more, nothing less."

OK Jermaine, but it still begs the question, who the hell gets put in the back of a police car for tinted windows?!

For more than a day, TMZ has been asking the L.A. County Sheriff's Department why deputies pulled Jermaine Dupri over and then put him in the back of a cop car before releasing him. The best answer we've gotten from one of the deputies who made the stop -- "It's personal ... it's none of your business."

The rapper and music mogul was pulled over as he drove his Lamborghini Tuesday afternoon in West Hollywood. His passenger was also taken to the cop car and placed in the back. The doors to the vehicle were all wide open when cameras arrived.

A number of TMZ users have been speculating that it's a case of racial profiling. One user wrote, "It's the cops hating again. Paris is going to jail so it's time to start hating blacks driving $250k cars."

A spokesman for the Sheriff would not comment. Interestingly, neither would Dupri's rep.



Tags: JD, Jermaine Dupri, JermaineDupri

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Reader Comments

(Page 4 of 5) Previous 15 Comments | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Most Recent | Next 15 Comments

46. Nina,
I'm white, and they pulled me and my husband: along with me three kids out of the van and searched it. Was it racially charged: NO! That's what border patrol DOES. STOP feeling sorry for yourself!!

Posted at 3:49PM on May 10th 2007 by get over it

47. OMG people iam sure that put him in the back of the car to avoid all the cameras that could come by and people stopping to look would have caused a major traffic problem. I dont think race had anything to do with the traffic stop,however there is race issues in some cases, I really dont think this was the case here. Lets leave race out of it that can go down either way depending on the cop, race,sex, all that can take place in some cases !!

Posted at 3:51PM on May 10th 2007 by Angiep

48. By the way...... in my city, we get pulled over AND PLACED IN THE COP CAR if we have illegal tinted windows. WHETHER WE ARE WHITE OR BLACK.

Posted at 4:03PM on May 10th 2007 by Fair

49. It's obviously a case of profiling. I've never had to sit in the back of a pig's car for anything, even when I actually HAD drugs in the front seat (which the stupid pig didn't notice because he was too busy staring at my boobs, which makes him, ironically, a boob himself)! JD should pull a Jason Wahler and just start screaming that he can buy their asses. That'll shut 'em up, right J.Wahl? LOLOLOfuckingL!

Posted at 4:17PM on May 10th 2007 by JaneSays

50. Once again..you've let what the media writes turn this into a race issue. JD didn't claim it was racial profiling..TMZ posed that question. He wasn't compalining. He said it was because of his exhaust or whatever. Racial profiling, age profiling, and cops just being bored and wanting to hit their quota fo the month, happens sometimes. But in this case, we were supposed to be talking about the JD incident...in which he never claimed racial profiling..TMZ did.

Posted at 4:24PM on May 10th 2007 by Is it really that serious??

51. I'm from L.A., so to answer TMZ question. The L.A. Sheriff's
always
makes you get out the car, and put you in the back sit. Trust me,
it's happened to me several times, and to many others who have been
stopped by the LA Sheriff. One time they saw me getting off the
Freeway. and they hit a quick you turn, and at this time I did not
have a license, . I stopped
into a store. I saw them, I just didn't know they were coming
after me. I went into the store to get a newspaper, they came into
the store made me put down the paper. Searched me, I told them I
didn't have a license and that I was handling all of that today. they
put me in the back searched the car i was in and then let me go. I
said do I need someone to pick me up. he said no just go where ever you
were going. we are just looking for drugs and weapons. That's just what they do. You kind of get use to it.

Posted at 4:53PM on May 10th 2007 by rich

52. I agree with all that said TMZ brought up the race issue. JD didn't mention anything regarding race. TMZ brought race into it.

This just gives some of the readers a chance to bitch and moan over the race card being pulled when he didn't even mention race.

Though, profiling is common, and in LA county, I think you have to be blind not to see it TMZ. Britney Spears was pulled over for speeding and her tinted windows about a week ago and got off with just warning. So, there you go.

Posted at 5:58PM on May 10th 2007 by Anon

53. blair - please try to comprehend this: you are an embarrassment to yourself - and subsequently, an embarassement to whatever/whoever you are trying to defend. In other words, you make a fool outta yourself daily on these boards.

Posted at 6:19PM on May 10th 2007 by AA

54. yeah this is strange as if they seem to go after celebs

Posted at 6:31PM on May 10th 2007 by crymeariver

55. This is all TMZ fault, they have nothing to write about, that's why they bother Dupri, clearly he is saying f-off.

Posted at 6:30PM on May 10th 2007 by lamos

56. THIS IS NOT A RACIAL THING, BECAUSE I WAS IN NORFOLK VA. LAST WEEK AND GOT A TICKET FOR THE SAME THANG, AND I'M WHITE SO... I DON'T WANT TO HERE BECAUSE YOU ARE BLACK. THE LAW IS THE LAW. AND I GOT THE TICKET TO POST IT........ IF YOU WOULD LIKE...... AND A PICTURE TO SHOW....... ALL....... OF YOU THAT, THINK IT'S BECAUSE YOU BLACK

Posted at 6:31PM on May 10th 2007 by vinton, va.

57. a black man driving a nice car in america gets pulled over, that's who

Posted at 7:05PM on May 10th 2007 by iknow

58. that's pretty reckless and unprofessional to be touting the race card based on a user comment. WTF does Paris Hilton have to do with it?

Posted at 7:24PM on May 10th 2007 by JC

59. HMMM, looks more like he's going in the front seat.

Posted at 9:08PM on May 10th 2007 by Belinda

60. This is typical West Hollywood Sheriff's Department behavior. I was helping a friend who was having car trouble once and we were both put into the back of the squad car. When asked what we did, they refused to provide an answer. We were held for 45 minutes. No explanation, no apology, just embarrassment. If you've never experienced this you cannot blame TMZ for speculating.

Posted at 9:20PM on May 10th 2007 by Mark

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