MADISON COUNTY, Tenn. — An early morning traffic stop took an unexpected turn Friday morning in east Jackson.
At approximately 2 a.m., Reem Cooper Drove to Walgreens with his son and sister to pick up medication.
Failing to obtain his medication, Cooper headed north on Campbell Street to his residence to get his discount card.
He noticed that a deputy, later identified as Deputy Jacob Nickell, followed Cooper and parked his vehicle nearby in the neighborhood.
As Cooper grew concerned, he had his sister record upon leaving his residence.
Cooper turned onto Catalina Drive and claims that due to the officer’s bright lights, he could not tell that the officer was parked in the wrong lane.
This forced Cooper to use the opposite lane to move past him.
“Deputy Jacob Nickell turned his vehicle around and then started to slowly stalk us around the corner,” Cooper claims.
According to Cooper, Nickell pulled him over, approached his vehicle, and immediately demanded him to get out of the car without telling him the reason of the stop or asking for any identification.
“Unlock the door,” Nickell asked in the video provided to WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News.
“My door is not coming open. First of all, you finish your conversation – is this a criminal stop or a traffic stop?” Cooper said in the video.
Officer Nickel proceeded to explain that it was a traffic stop based upon a criminal violation.
According to Cooper, the officer did not clarify the violation. Officer Nickell repeatedly asked Cooper to get out of the car or he would break the window and force him out.
“Glass is all in my eyes. I hope you’re proud of yourself right now, of what you’ve done,” Cooper could be heard saying in the video.
Upon breaking the glass, Officer Nickell forcibly pulled Cooper out of the car. Another deputy on the scene then forced the passengers to get out as well.
“I’m going to tell you now, get out of the car. Get out of the car,” the deputy could be heard saying in the video.
“I’m a passenger, I’m not a driver,” said Ashley Thomas, Cooper’s sister and a passenger in the car, in the video.
“It does not matter. I have the right to tell you to get out of the ******* car,” the deputy said in the video.
“I’m videotaping this. What am I getting pulled out of the car for?” Thomas said in the video.
According to an affidavit of complaint against Cooper, Nickell stated:
“The vehicle made too sharp of a turn and rather than maintain its lane and pass by me in the correct lane, it pulled in front of my vehicle, bumper to bumper, having exited its lane. The vehicle then passed me by my right hand side coming extremely close to striking my vehicle.”
In General Sessions Court Tuesday morning, Cooper appeared before a judge.
Cooper pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. His sister, Ashley Thomas, pleaded not guilty as well.
“We have submitted so much evidence within this case, fighting and fighting to be heard,” Thomas said.
We have reached out to the Madison County Sheriff’s Office regarding the incident.
They have not yet released an official statement.
For more news in the Jackson area, click here.
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July 12, 2023 at 10:21AM
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Traffic stop takes unexpected turn in Madison County - WBBJ TV - WBBJ-TV
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