Exclusive to Fox: The Los Angeles Police Union is urging an investigation into City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson following allegations that he attempted to bypass a traffic citation by contacting a school board member. This incident reportedly occurred earlier this month when he was stopped while driving through a school zone.
Harris-Dawson argues that his stop on March 4 by a Los Angeles School police officer might have been racially motivated. At the time, he was en route to a committee meeting in a government vehicle.
The reason for the stop was an illegal U-turn made within the school zone.
During a press conference at the Edward R. Roybal Learning Center in Los Angeles, City Council President Harris-Dawson described the traffic stop on March 4 as “traumatic.” His comments were made as he addressed the media, with photos captured by Hans Gutknecht of MediaNews Group via Getty Images, showing him engaged during the event.
Harris-Dawson was fined $238 for the moving violation, as first reported by the California Post.
The Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL) has called on City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto to investigate the allegations. Reports suggest Harris-Dawson contacted a Los Angeles Unified School District official during the stop, raising concerns he might have used his influence to evade consequences for the traffic violation, which took place near a high school during morning drop-off hours.
“If this is true, the public deserves to know which school board member Mr. Harris-Dawson called, what was said on this phone call and if the officers involved were contacted by the school board member,” the LAPPL, which represents rank and file officers within the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), wrote in separate letters obtained by Fox News Digital to Feldstein Soto and Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman.
“We urge your office to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation to determine whether or not Los Angeles City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson violated the law and the public trust with his action,” both letters said.
LAPPL President Ricky Mendoza said it would be “unethical and potentially illegal” for a city leader to use their position of power to attempt to “avoid accountability for their reckless driving in a school zone.”
An intensified police presence from the Los Angeles School Police keeps watch over a lunchtime crowd at Jefferson High School in response to recent racially motivated fighting that took place on the campus. (Getty Images)
“We urge the DA and City Attorney to hold this very powerful elected official accountable if in fact he violated the law,” he said.
During a recent council meeting, Harris-Dawson, who is Black, described the experience as traumatic “as it was when I was 16.”
“In Los Angeles, every single time data is collected on pretextual traffic stops, they are grossly racially biased,” he said.
He said that he’d been stopped four times while driving a government-issued vehicle.
“The first question was, roll down your windows. The second question was, how do you have this vehicle? The third question was, well, you work for the city. What job do you do for the city?” Harris-Dawson told his colleagues.
“In fact, I’m the president of the council,” he added. “I had to explain this on the corner of Main and 25th Street, while I was trying to get to the committee just two days ago.”
Rachel Brashier, left, aide to Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson, right, listen to public comment at Los Angeles City Hall in Los Angeles in May 2025. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Fox News Digital reached out to Harris-Dawson’s office, as well as the offices of Feldstein Soto and the district attorney, but did not immediately receive a response Wednesday night.
–>
