Officer to face hearing
Transgender driver accuses cop
Shelby Kendall considers herself female, as does her doctor and the state of Florida.
But thatwasn’t good enough for a Fort Lauderdale police officer who pulled her over in January and issued the transgender woman a ticket that identified her as male — even though her driver’s license lists her as female.
Now, Officer James Brinton faces a hearingMonday before the Citizens Police Review Board over the complaint Kendall filed after the incident.
“If I’ve done everything I need to do for the state of Florida to recognizemeas a female, he doesn’t have a right to purposely mis-gender me,” Kendall, 48, said Friday. “Itwas inappropriate and kind of bullying and sends a message to the transgender community.”
Brinton told investigators he thought that the driver’s license information showing Kendall as female was a mistake.
When he askedKendallwhy the driver’s license identified her as female, she told him she identified as female, according to the police investigation of Kendall’s complaint.
“Well, for the purposes of this citation, you’re a male,” Brinton told Kendall when he issued her the traffic citation, the report said.
Police investigators have recommended Brinton receive a letter of reprimand. The Citizens Police Review Board on Monday can endorse or object to the recommendation, with the final decision resting with the city manager.
More training about transgender issues should also be part of the police response to the incident, LGBT activist Michael Rajner said.
“What concerns me is that the officer felt itwas not necessary forhimto correct the [citation],” Rajner said. “He robbed that individual of her dignity.”
The encounter occurred about 5 p.m. Jan. 28, when Brinton said he noticed a black Chevrolet Camaro drag racing a Mustang, heading west on State Road 84, according to the police report.
Brinton told investigators that he followed the Camaro into a Winn-Dixie parking lot with his police lights on and then walked up to the parked car, driven byKendall.
Kendall gave Brinton her license, vehicle registration and proof of insurance and the officer went back to his car to check the information, according to police.