Film as Accomplice

It’s an unfortunate fact that the words “illegal window tint” appear in a large number of police reports nationwide. Polling daily news reports from around the country will provide an exhausting number of incidents. Illegal tint is so closely associated with “suspicious vehicles,” that officers frequently admit it is one of their number one tools for identifying potential criminals.

Here’s a condensed list of what has surfaced in recent days:

Worcester, Mass. —Danny Diaz, 21, was indicted on charges for obstructive window tint, in addition to cocaine trafficking, possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute, possession of marijuana, speeding and defective equipment on a car. Behind the illegally tinted windows, state police discovered smoke from a marijuana cigarette that was coming from the ashtray …

Tonawanda, N.Y.—Richard L. Caster was stopped for a window tint violation when the officer detected the odor of alcohol, according to reports. Caster, who allegedly refused all field sobriety tests, was charged with driving while intoxicated and speeding …

Oak Ridge, Tenn.—This past May, Anthony Shawntell Gulley was stopped for a window-tint violation that quickly escaladed to more serious charges after officer John Thomas found 16.3 grams of crack and 2.2 grams of marijuana in the car. Gulley was recently indicted by a federal grand jury on cocaine charges …