UFC star Jon Jones still frustrated with officer in drag racing case
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight champ Jon Jones is scheduled to return to action for the first time in more than 15 months when he fights Ovince St. Preux for the interim belt on April 23 at MGM Grand.
Jones spent his Monday focused on more than just his UFC 197 opponent, however.
The 28-year-old took to social media to vent his continued frustration with the police officer that pulled him over and cited him for drag racing and four other offenses last month in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The UFC star, who was suspended indefinitely and stripped of his title for his arrest on hit-and-run charges last year, was jailed following the March incident as it violated terms of his probation.
Jones, who is black, posted video of a news report Monday detailing several accusations of racial profiling previously alleged against the white officer, Jason Brown.
A body-cam video of the incident previously released shows an angry and belligerent Jones repeatedly calling the officer a liar among worse names and claiming he knew Jones wasn’t guilty of drag racing.
Jones has explained in interviews he was simply revving his engine at fans who had acknowledged him while stopped at a red light.
It was the latest in a series of run-ins with police in the New Mexico city where he now lives and trains.
“Officer Brown all over the news in Albuquerque after reporters dig up how many times he has been in trouble for racial profiling in the past,” Jones wrote. “Being a father of biracial children, I’m definitely not one to pull the race card. At the same time, I’m not necessarily surprised about this discovery after the run in I had with him.”
Jones went on to say the experience soured him on law enforcement.
“Having him stand there, look me in the eyes and start accusing me of several things him and I both know I didn’t do made me feel let down by the community, made me feel powerless, he made me feel like what was actually true had no power over him,” Jones said. “Now it’s easier for me to understand why so many people hold resentment towards law enforcement. Officer Brown almost single-handedly ruined my trust in law-enforcement.”
The fighter said his bad experience represented a bit or irony since he had wanted to be on the other side of the law before he pursued a career in the UFC.
“The sad thing about it is, I actually went to school for criminal justice. I wanted to be an officer myself,” Jones wrote. “Fortunately I know better than to let one person ruin my views of a whole group. Just glad people are finally bringing light to who I was dealing with that night.”
According to published reports, Brown is also facing a lawsuit for citing a epileptic man with driving while intoxicated despite passing a field sobriety test and a breathalyzer examination.
Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509. Follow him on Twitter: @adamhilllvrj
RELATED
Former UFC champ Jon Jones cited for allegedly drag racing
Former UFC champ Jon Jones arrested on probation violation
Former UFC champ Jon Jones ordered to take anger management class
