Virginia Official Accused of 'Don't You Know Who I Am?' Tactics During Traffic Stop

Fairfax County Executive Bryan Hill was involved in a traffic stop last Friday where he appeared to leverage his position when questioned by a police officer. The incident occurred as Hill was en route to an event and was pulled over for not having his Cadillac's front license plate mounted, according to bodycam footage obtained by WJLA.

During the stop, the officer politely introduced himself, to which Hill responded by identifying himself as the county executive. When asked for his license and registration, Hill leaned over and asked the officer, "Did you hear who I told you I am?" The officer confirmed he heard, after which Hill proceeded to locate his registration.

The officer, who appeared to be young, then contacted his sergeant, noting the identity of the individual he had stopped. Instructions were given to make a notification due to Hill's role. As Hill waited, he expressed concern about being late for his engagement.

Following the interaction, which lasted about 10 minutes, the officer issued Hill a warning for the license plate violation. Hill's license and registration were returned to him, and the officer concluded the stop by advising him to "Drive safe, sir."

Hill later stated that he informed Police Chief Kevin Davis of the traffic stop during and after the interaction. In a statement to WJLA, Hill said he identified himself as the county executive twice but insisted it was not an attempt to influence the officer's duties. He did, however, apologize for any difficulty the exchange may have caused the officer.

Hill also claimed he was unaware that displaying his license plate on his dashboard did not comply with Virginia law. However, an email from Chief Davis to Deputy County Executive Thomas Arnold suggested a different account. According to Davis, Hill told him, "He had no idea who I was" and "If I had a badge, he would've let me go." Davis also noted that Hill had described the officer as "disrespectful."

Chief Davis defended the officer's conduct in his email to Arnold, stating that the officer was "100 percent professional, cordial, and polite at all times" and that no internal action would be taken against him. Davis referred to the officer's actions as "exemplary" and noted that the requirement for a front license plate is a state statute, not a local rule.

Arnold responded to Davis, apologizing for Hill's behavior and promising to discuss the matter with the county executive and arrange an apology for both Davis and the officer.

Hill has served as the county executive since January 2018. The Daily Mail has reached out to the police department and Hill for further comment.