Woman Says She Gave Cops 'White Privilege Card'

Police in Anchorage are investigating
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 14, 2022 5:20 PM CDT
Alaska Cops Investigate Use of 'White Privilege Card'
Mimi Israelah, center, cheers for Donald Trump inside the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage, Alaska, during a rally Saturday July 9, 2022.   (Bill Roth/Anchorage Daily News via AP)

The Anchorage Police Department says it's investigating a woman's claim that she was pulled over by police and didn't receive a ticket after she showed them a "White Privilege Card." In a now-deleted Facebook post, Mimi Israelah said she was pulled over for weaving on her way to a pizzeria after arriving on a flight from California early Saturday, the AP reports. She said she gave officers the novelty card when she couldn't find her driver's license. Israeleh, who told a commenter that she didn't get a ticket, also posted a selfie in which she posed with the card and an officer. “White Privilege Card works as a Driver’s License! Always keep one in your wallet," she wrote.

Israeleh, who identifies herself as of Filipino origin in her Twitter biography, said she told officers she was in town for a Donald Trump rally that evening supporting Alaskan candidates including Sarah Palin. She also posted a video in which an officer described the card as "hilarious." Anchorage Police Department spokesperson Sunny Guerin tells the Anchorage Daily News that the department can't answer questions about whether Israeleh received a citation or whether the two officers involved were disciplined because "the incident is currently under investigation and it relates to personnel matters."

In a Tuesday message "to provide some clarity regarding our internal standards of conduct," Anchorage Police Chief Michael Kerle didn't mention the card incident, but stressed that the force's "vision is to create an environment where everyone matters" and their "profession requires our employees to treat everyone with respect and be culturally aware and competent." Sgt. Jeremy Conkling, president of the Anchorage police union, says the officers involved have received a notice of investigation. (More Alaska stories.)

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