Racial Profiling in Vermont? Yes, Says Minister

From WPTZ through MSNBC:

A charge of racial profiling was leveled against South Burlington police by a Champlain Valley minister Wednesday. Rev. Rico Diamond, pastor of New Wine-New Ministries, said police targeted him at a local hotel because he is black and because he carried a large amount of cash.

Diamond said the incident happened last Monday, when South Burlington Police Officer Jack O'Connor knocked on the door of his hotel room on Shelburne Road.

"They explained to me they were in the area because of drug trafficking going on," said Diamond. "I do not think he would have treated me the way he treated me if the pigmentation of my skin was different."

South Burlington police said they were responding to a report of suspicious activity, but refused to elaborate.

You know, my entire life I don't think any authority has ever suspected or behaved like they suspected I was involved with drugs.

Now, it's easy for me to dismiss this as "Well, they wouldn't because I don't do them or distribute them". But work trips have planted me in some strange motels when other places were full and at one time, I used to carry a fair amount of cash around.

Just lucky? Or is it because I'm a white woman and not a man of color?