Traffic officer says he was told to target minority drivers

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Kansas City police officer has filed a lawsuit accusing department leaders of encouraging officers to meet illegal ticket quotas by targeting drivers in Black and other minority neighborhoods. White traffic officer Edward Williams filed the discrimination lawsuit Monday. The Kansas City Star reports that racial profiling is a violation of the federal 1964 Civil Rights Act. Ticket quotas are also illegal under a 2016 state law. Kansas City police Chief Stacey Graves says officers do not direct enforcement activities based on demographics. She says they are directed instead to high crash areas and citizen traffic complaint locations.