https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7y6JVIGewPc
Today, TMZ obtained the audio of Jon Jones’ controversial January 31st traffic stop (also embedded above), and it’s…interesting. Zane Simon at Bloody Elbow has transcribed it, and the big takeaway is that it doesn’t look like Jones has learned much. If not for an incredibly forgiving police office, this could have turned out a lot worse for him. In short, it appears that he he thinks that any kind of valid photo ID is a legitimate substitute for a driver’s license, has little to no awareness of basic traffic law in general (including that driving without car insurance and proof thereof is illegal), and thought it was believable to act like he had no idea that he was going 75 miles per hour in a 35 mile per hour zone. Really. To get the full picture, here’s the transcript from the point it gets really interesting (or you can just listen to the clip above):
Cop: I need the registration for the license plate.
Jones: Is this it?
Cop: Nope. Do you have the insurance card?
Cop: So, you don’t have anything then? You don’t have a license with you, no registration, no insurance?
Jones: I just threw on some sweatpants and [unintelligable]
Cop: Is the vehicle in your name?
Jones: No, it’s in my fiance’s name.
Cop: So where’s the insurance, man?
Jones: I don’t know.
Cop: You don’t know?
Jones: No, I don’t know.
Cop: So why are you driving with no insurance, dude?
Jones: Is that illegal?
Cop: [snorts] You know it’s illegal, man.
Jones: No, I don’t. Is it?
Cop: YES. Everybody has to have insurance.
Jones: Yeah, the car’s insured.
Cop: But you got to have proof of insurance. Just because you’re telling me that it’s legit doesn’t mean that it’s legit.
Jones: Yeah, I understand that.
Cop: I’ve got to see some proof.
Jones: I understand.
Cop: You don’t have your license with you either, so why are you driving with no license. You know that you have to have a license to drive, right?
Jones: Yeah, I have a valid license.
Cop: But you have to have it with you.
Jones: Yeah. I lost my license a while ago, so I usually carry my passport.
Cop: Be straight up, okay. You don’t have a license, right? To be driving.
Jones: No, I do.
Cop: Because you’re not coming back in the system as having a license.
Jones: I don’t know why that would be, because I’m from New York.
Cop: So, you don’t have a New Mexico license?
Jones: No, sir.
Cop: Okay, but you’ve got one out of New York?
Jones: Mmhmm.
Cop: Okay, you just don’t have it with you?
Jones: No, no I don’t. I lost my… So, I’m from New York and I haven’t gotten a… I’ve been living here, I moved here officially about a year and a half ago and I’ve been driving around carrying my passport.
Cop: Mmhmm.
Jones: I left my passport in my book bag at home, so that’s the only reason I’m not carrying it.
Cop: But you’ve got to have a driver’s license, not a passport, to drive, okay?
Jones: Okay, I didn’t realize that.
Cop: I mean, going 75 is pretty much reckless driving, dude.
Jones: Yeah, that’s what he’s telling me.
Cop: So, you’re getting a huge break dude. You know what I’m saying?
Jones: Yeah, I appreciate it.
Cop: You just need to get a license to drive if you’re going to drive, alright? And just drive normal, okay?
Jones: Yeah. Yeah absolutely.
Cop: I mean, yeah you got a cool car, but there’s no reason to go drive crazy and kill somebody or kill yourself. It ain’t worth it dude.
Jones: Absolutely.
