New England Patriots rookie wide receiver Javon Baker found himself in the middle of controversy on Sunday morning after a heated confrontation with a police officer, which he broadcasted live on Instagram. The incident occurred while Baker was dropping someone off at the airport, where he allegedly received a traffic ticket that left him fuming.
Taking to social media, Baker vented his frustrations in a live video that quickly gained traction after being shared on X (formerly Twitter). In the clip, Baker claimed the officer approached his vehicle aggressively, yelling at him “for no reason.” According to Baker, the situation escalated to the point where the officer threatened to tow his car.
X @OwnedByBryson
Javon baker just got a ticket pic.twitter.com/2i7XFTjiWl
— Bryson (@OwnedByBryson) September 1, 2024
Unfazed by the threat, Baker responded defiantly. “You towing it ain’t gonna do nothing to me,” he said in the video. “Come on, bro. You got other s— to worry about. He wanna give me a goddamn ticket. … Why is you doing that, bro? I’m dropping somebody off at the airport.”
X @OwnedByBryson
The exchange reportedly became more heated, with both Baker and the officer raising their voices. While the exact reason for the ticket remains unclear, Baker hinted that it might have been due to his license plate being covered and his front windshield being tinted.
“You ain’t gonna start yelling at me and thinking I’m not fitting to yell back,” Baker continued in the video. “Who do you think you are? Just because you’re a police officer, that don’t mean nothing, bro. With my tax dollars, I pay you. Come on, bro, you work for me.”
Baker did not disclose which police agency or airport was involved in the incident, leaving some details of the confrontation unclear.
The 22-year-old wide receiver has been making a name for himself on the field as well. During the preseason, Baker recorded five receptions for 56 yards, building on an impressive college career at UCF, where he racked up 52 receptions for 1,139 yards and seven touchdowns last season. Selected by the Patriots in the fourth round of this year’s draft, Baker is seen as a promising talent, though this off-field incident has now brought him additional, albeit unwanted, attention.
