One of many deputies who pulled him over additionally claimed it was unlawful to drive by means of the state with a monkey however that additionally was not true.
Since then, Raymond Feaste has been waging a one-man battle in opposition to the Georgia authorized system to clear his title, documenting his battle on his YouTube channel, Thabo and Ray, the place he largely publish movies of his pet vervet monkey, Thabo.
Feaste obtained physique digital camera footage from each the Dooly County Sheriff’s Workplace and the Turner County Sheriff’s Workplace, revealing that Feaste was not driving to shut to the car in entrance of him in both case.
“I’ve two sheriff’s departments which are conspiring and colluding to ship me away to jail for actually no motive and the entire proof to indicate that I’m harmless is on video,” Feaste mentioned within the opening of one of many movies the place he mentioned the visitors stops.
“And even additional, the entire proof exhibits how unlawful and felony what their conduct has been and what number of occasions they violated my rights.”
Feaste, 32, is dealing with a misdemeanor cost of following too carefully to the car in entrance of him which is punishable by as much as a 12 months in jail. Penalties may embody fines, license suspension, added factors on his driving file and elevated insurance coverage charges.
“Why has this prosecutor not dropped these costs?” Feaste requested in his video. “This seems like prosecutorial misconduct for me.”
“Prosecutors must drop costs if there is no such thing as a proof to cost you. The proof they submitted by means of discovery exhibits I didn’t do something.”
The Proof
The visitors stops happened on October 15, 2024 whereas Feaste was driving again from North Carolina to Florida, the place he’s from.
Physique digital camera footage from the primary cease exhibits Dooly County sheriff’s Deputy Steven Peavy pull alongside Feaste as he was driving on the interstate — permitting him to see the driving force —- earlier than permitting Feaste to drive forward of him the place he deputy then started tailgating him to drag him over.
The video additionally exhibits the tractor trailer he had been accused of tailgating was no less than seven automotive lengths forward of him so it’s not even debatable.
“I do know he simply pulled me over for no motive,” Feaste mentioned. “I do know I used to be not tailgating a semi so I do know he simply pulled me over and he’s attempting to only see if the automotive smelled of marijuana.”
“You possibly can’t simply pull somebody over simply since you really feel prefer it. It’s an illegal detainment.”
Police bodycam footage exhibits Feaste telling the deputy he was not tailgating in addition to asserting his proper not to answer questions not pertaining to the visitors cease which irritated the deputy, who occurs to the son of Dooly County Sheriff Craig Peavy.
Physique digital camera footage exhibits Peavy was very assured in his accusation, informing Feaste that the proof is on his digital camera,
“I bought you on digital camera proper on the bumper of that automotive,” Peavy mentioned. “I used to be going to present you a warning however if you wish to …”
The deputy didn’t end his assertion in regards to the warning however it’s evident he was referring to Feaste asserting his constitutional rights.
“I don’t care what you consider,” the deputy continued. “I bought it on digital camera that you simply trip too shut.”
“You bought to present no less than a few automotive lengths, you had been lower than a automotive size off the again of that tractor trailer.”
“It’s not my opinion, it’s a truth,” Peavy said.
Peavy ended up giving Feaste a felony summons for driving too shut, which remains to be pending.
Physique digital camera footage additionally exhibits Peavy muting his digital camera whereas inside his automotive and making a telephone name, which Feaste believes was to the deputies in Turner County which is only one county south of Dooly.
Lower than an hour later, Feaste was pulled over by Turner County sheriff’s Deputy Justin Partain on the identical allegation that he was driving too near a tractor trailer in entrance of him.
Nonetheless, dashcam video obtained by Feaste exhibits the tractor trailer passing the deputy two lanes to the left of the freeway emergency lane the place the deputy was parked. Then, two seconds later, Feaste drives by within the lane instantly to the left of the emergency lane.
“I’m not even in the identical lane and I would like you to know that the officer whose daddy is the pinnacle city sheriff there known as these officers forward and had them illegally do that,” Feaste mentioned in his video.
Partain’s physique digital camera footage exhibits the deputy accusing Feaste of driving too near the tractor trailer when he notices Thabo in a cage within the again seat.
“Is {that a} monkey?” Partain requested. “You’ve gotten your paperwork to move that monkey?”
“There’s no paperwork required if I’m simply touring by means of the state,” Feaste explains.
“Sure sir, you bought to have you ever bought to have paperwork with you to move a monkey.”
“That’s not true,” Feaste responded.
Unlawful Frisk
In his YouTube video, Feaste posts a screenshot of the regulation that states “no such license or allow shall be required solely for the transportation of untamed animals by means of this state the place the animals stay on this state not more than 24 hours and should not offered or transferred whereas on this state.”
Driving by means of Georgia takes about six hours, and Feaste mentioned he had no plans on stopping aside from for toilet breaks or meals.
Partain walked again to his patrol automotive to do analysis on the monkey regulation, then walked again to Feaste’s automotive and had him step out of the automotive to frisk him for weapons which Feaste says violated a Supreme Courtroom ruling because the deputy didn’t have cheap suspicion that he could possibly be armed and harmful.
“There isn’t any motive to consider I’m armed and there’s no motive to consider that I’m harmful,” Feaste mentioned. “I’ve been nothing however respectful the entire time, so he violated my rights when he does this.”
However Partain threatened to arrest him for obstruction if he didn’t comply.
Partain ended up giving Feaste a warning in addition to asking him to permit him to {photograph} the monkey so he can ship it to the Georgia Division of Pure Assets which points licenses for wildlife, however they haven’t contacted him.
Nonetheless, 5 months later, Feaste nonetheless has the preliminary misdemeanor cost of driving too carefully hanging over him. On-line courtroom data from Dooly County present his subsequent courtroom date is March 20.
Watch Feaste’s explanatory video right here in addition to one other explanatory video by the police accountability web site Lackluster.
