BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — A Ferrari driver stopped for going more than twice the speed limit mentioned his connection to the police chief and his police fundraising efforts. The officer’s next order of business: getting his signature on a speeding ticket.
Dash camera video posted to Instagram in April is drawing renewed attention after Beverly Hills Mayor Sharona Nazarian shared it in early November.
| DOWNLOAD: 5 officer safety conversations to have with your team
In the video, an officer tells the driver he was traveling 52 mph in a 25 mph zone — after he had already slowed down.
“You had some fun, and you got caught,” the officer said.
The driver said he hadn’t noticed his speed and was trying to get treatment for an infection. The officer offered to call paramedics, but the driver declined, saying he had ordered medicine.
When the officer asked for his license, the driver brought up Mark Stainbrook, who was police chief at the time and retired in May.
“Do you know Mark Stainbrook?” the driver asked.
“Oh, the chief? Yeah. Yeah, I know chief,” the officer replied.
The driver said he hosted fundraising events for police at his house. The officer acknowledged the comment, then continued with the citation.
“This is a speeding ticket for going 52 in a 25,” the officer explained.
The driver asked for a warning.
“No, you’re getting a ticket. You’re going 27 over,” the officer said.
“Is it negotiable?”
“No, it’s not negotiable.”
The driver called it “an honest mistake” and said the Ferrari made it difficult to notice his speed.
“They have those really cool speedometers that tell you exactly how fast you’re going,” the officer replied.
When the driver acknowledged he wasn’t paying attention, the officer explained why he wouldn’t issue a warning.
“That’s the problem. That’s what’s scary. It’s dangerous,” he said.
Before wrapping up, the officer returned to the driver’s earlier mention of the chief.
“I can appreciate that you know the chief, but even the chief is a big proponent of not dropping his name,” the officer said.
The video was shared by @bhmc_110, an Instagram account run by Officer J. Givens that posts traffic stop videos to promote traffic safety awareness and education in Beverly Hills.
The accompanying caption offered another way to support local police: “obey simple traffic laws.”
