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Charges Dropped Against Black Ohio Driver Stopped by Patrol
By: Associated Press
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TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) – A federal judge has dismissed charges against a black driver stopped by the Ohio State Highway Patrol following questions about the role race played in the arrest.
Tyrone Warfield of Chicago was pulled over on the Ohio Turnpike in 2014 and convicted of a counterfeit charge based on debit and credit cards found in his car.
A trooper brought a drug-sniffing dog to the scene although no drugs were detected.
A Cincinnati appeals court raised concerns after a trooper testified he took drug-sniffing dogs more often to stops with minorities.
The patrol later confirmed it uses drug-sniffing dogs on stops involving black drivers at a higher rate than stops involving whites. It says race doesn’t play a role.
The judge dismissed the charges against Warfield Thursday at the government’s request.