Barry arrested for driving with a suspended license

DC City Councilmember Marion “Cocaine” Barry had another run-in with the law this week. Via NBC4:

WASHINGTON — Marion Barry said that he is talking to his lawyers and thinking about suing the D.C. government and the U.S. Park Police after he was stopped, arrested and then released this past Saturday.

Barry said that he was driving to a holiday party around 4:30 p.m. Saturday when U.S. Park Police officers, who said that he was driving too slowly, stopped him.

Barry said the officers asked him for his license and registration and then said that his license was suspended.

Barry told NBC4 the suspension was a clerical mistake, and he accused the U.S. Park police of racial profiling.

Park Police said Barry’s license was in fact suspended, and that’s why he was arrested.

Barry was cuffed and taken to a park police station for processing.

Barry said the incident took several hours to work out and he was humiliated and severely inconvenienced. He said he wasn’t able to drive all weekend due to a mistake by the D.C. government.

Turns out Barry was right, and that his license had not been suspended. But you’d think he could have handled the response to it a little better. It’s understandable though, given his criminal history, that he’s a little touchy about coming in contact with law enforcement officers ;)

Hat tip: Mary Katherine Ham, who reminds us that Barry was elected to serve on the DC City Council back in 2004 after winning 96% of the vote.

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