I think I just became Public Enemy #5.
Sep. 11th, 2003 05:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
judecorpWhile I was tooling around on the internet about an hour ago, I began to hear yelling from outside my windows. I figured it was a couple of people arguing, so I let it go, until I heard a man yell, "Racial Profiling!" At this point, I looked out the front windows to see an officer handcuffing a young African-American man against a police car, and another man and woman yelling things like, "He didn't do nothing!" and "He was just walking down the street!" I decided to go outside and watch what was going to happen.
What I saw was atrocious. The police officer in question did NOTHING to try to de-escalate the situation, and in fact, made it far worse. The officer /and/ the two people on the street were in each other's faces yelling at each other, hurling insults. The two people were yelling about racial profiling, and the officer was yelling at the people to get away from the car. At one point, the officer said, "Get your black ass on the sidewalk." As you might expect, this caused an explosive reaction from the young man on the street. From the safety of his police car, the same officer yelled to the man, "Go back to the South Side where you belong!" The young man being addressed escalated further, and began to yell things like, "You don't know where I live! I'm from [some other place], and you better not come around there!" I was horrified and mortified, and made a mental note of the number of the police car (#14) because I planned to call the police department and let them know about the inappropriateness of racial insults.
A few minutes later, a second police car (#16) pulls behind the first one and at first I think she is going to de-escalate the situation. She was speaking calmly and trying to calm the people down, but they kept yelling. For reasons that entirely escape me, the female officer got right in the people's faces and screamed, "STOP SHOUTING AT ME!" Bad form... very bad form. Of course, the people kept yelling and gesturing with their hands, and the female officer yelled, "Stop pointing at me!" When the woman didn't stop, the female officer grabbed the woman's hand and thrust it downward. I was thinking, 'Hoo boy, this is not good.'
The next step, of course, is that the man and woman get even /more/ upset, and the woman starts hollering about assault (justifiably) and the man starts hollering about how all cops are bitches and pigs and whatnot. Finally, in a fit of sheer stupidity, the man on the street yells, "I support terrorism against the Columbus Police Department!" and "I am going to bomb the police station if you arrest me." Brilliant, I know. So of course, the female officer asks for his ID, and he starts running away, and then I couldn't see anything (cars in the way), but the man is screaming, and they have him face down on the ground (the male and female officers) and they are yelling, "Stop resisting!" It was a horrible display of abuse of force. They cuffed the second guy, put him in the second car, and in the next minute or so, there were THREE more police cars and a police van.
When all was said and done, and every police officer had left except one who wasn't there at all, I walked over to him and asked if he was making a report. I told him I wanted to report some inappropriate behavior on the parts of the two officers. I told him what I saw, and what I thought about it, and he asked me if I wanted to make a statement. I said yes, and I wrote one, complete with name, address, and telephone number.
I feel good about sticking up for those people, and for pointing out flaws in the way the officers handled the situation. I feel good about doing what is right, and keeping my promise to myself to combat racism at every opportunity. I feel good about having the guts to confront the police officers, even though we are conditioned not to question anything they say or do. At the same time, I'm really nervous that I'm going to have some sort of star next to my name now, so that I get pulled over all the time for stupid things.
What I saw was atrocious. The police officer in question did NOTHING to try to de-escalate the situation, and in fact, made it far worse. The officer /and/ the two people on the street were in each other's faces yelling at each other, hurling insults. The two people were yelling about racial profiling, and the officer was yelling at the people to get away from the car. At one point, the officer said, "Get your black ass on the sidewalk." As you might expect, this caused an explosive reaction from the young man on the street. From the safety of his police car, the same officer yelled to the man, "Go back to the South Side where you belong!" The young man being addressed escalated further, and began to yell things like, "You don't know where I live! I'm from [some other place], and you better not come around there!" I was horrified and mortified, and made a mental note of the number of the police car (#14) because I planned to call the police department and let them know about the inappropriateness of racial insults.
A few minutes later, a second police car (#16) pulls behind the first one and at first I think she is going to de-escalate the situation. She was speaking calmly and trying to calm the people down, but they kept yelling. For reasons that entirely escape me, the female officer got right in the people's faces and screamed, "STOP SHOUTING AT ME!" Bad form... very bad form. Of course, the people kept yelling and gesturing with their hands, and the female officer yelled, "Stop pointing at me!" When the woman didn't stop, the female officer grabbed the woman's hand and thrust it downward. I was thinking, 'Hoo boy, this is not good.'
The next step, of course, is that the man and woman get even /more/ upset, and the woman starts hollering about assault (justifiably) and the man starts hollering about how all cops are bitches and pigs and whatnot. Finally, in a fit of sheer stupidity, the man on the street yells, "I support terrorism against the Columbus Police Department!" and "I am going to bomb the police station if you arrest me." Brilliant, I know. So of course, the female officer asks for his ID, and he starts running away, and then I couldn't see anything (cars in the way), but the man is screaming, and they have him face down on the ground (the male and female officers) and they are yelling, "Stop resisting!" It was a horrible display of abuse of force. They cuffed the second guy, put him in the second car, and in the next minute or so, there were THREE more police cars and a police van.
When all was said and done, and every police officer had left except one who wasn't there at all, I walked over to him and asked if he was making a report. I told him I wanted to report some inappropriate behavior on the parts of the two officers. I told him what I saw, and what I thought about it, and he asked me if I wanted to make a statement. I said yes, and I wrote one, complete with name, address, and telephone number.
I feel good about sticking up for those people, and for pointing out flaws in the way the officers handled the situation. I feel good about doing what is right, and keeping my promise to myself to combat racism at every opportunity. I feel good about having the guts to confront the police officers, even though we are conditioned not to question anything they say or do. At the same time, I'm really nervous that I'm going to have some sort of star next to my name now, so that I get pulled over all the time for stupid things.
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gold star for jude.
Date: 2003-09-11 02:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-09-11 02:26 pm (UTC)HOWEVER, after all is said and done, I think you were well within your rights to express your concerns to the officer. I certainly respect that you did that.
Re: gold star for jude.
Date: 2003-09-11 02:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-09-11 02:31 pm (UTC)Regardless, there was no need for her to get in their face like that. How is there a mob mentality with *2* people? After all, one of the other officers who came later talked the shouting woman down with little effort. He just talked to her with respect and listened to what she had to say. It's not rocket science.
Any person who is potentially involved with escalating individuals receives training on what to do and what not to do. Heck, I learned not to do any of those things in a freaking 3-hour workshop at my old job. Rule 1 - don't fuel the fire. Rule 2 - racial insults are wrong. Jeeze!
As for dominance, I simply don't agree with that at all. Yes, it is an officer's job to uphold the laws, and to control scenes. This was not scene control. These officers made the scene worse.
no subject
Date: 2003-09-11 02:53 pm (UTC)Just recently, he had to deal with one of our drunk assed neighbors starting a fight that looked like it was going to lead to assualt with a very friendly other neighbor of ours. He wasnt' on duty.. hell he wasn't even in his city, but the way he reacted, controlled the situation, and dispelled all of the negative energy absolutely filled me to the brim with pride.
When he goes into cop mode, it's like he changes into someone I've never met before. It's sad to realize that there are so many few good cops left.. he says the same even of his own police force. To him, an old fashioned man, being a police officer isn't about the power that it is to the current generation.
I wonder when power became so much more important than mutual respect. People today are definitely very different than my father. He grew up in the 40s and early 50s and his morals are distinct and solidified. I wish that were more common, even in myself sometimes.
no subject
Date: 2003-09-11 03:02 pm (UTC)Re: gold star for jude.
Date: 2003-09-11 03:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-09-11 03:31 pm (UTC)It's good to know there are people out there that do the right thing.
w00t!!
Date: 2003-09-11 03:57 pm (UTC)I am so glad I don't still live in Cols...I've seen cops do enough shit, and let us not forget that they had a FEDERAL lawsuit pending against them that was tied up in courts....until everyone's fave chimp said that was hooey and dismissed it! *grrr*
I have an FBI file, I'm sure of it...I went to an alternative school that was started by 'those damned dirty hippies,' so, yeah, most likely. ^_~
no subject
Date: 2003-09-11 05:08 pm (UTC)And in turn for your good deed, I'll give you good news. Simon and Garfunkel are coming to Columbus!!!!!!!!
(And so is my mom and her groupie friend.)
And even better news, I wrote you a letter!!!!!!
no subject
Date: 2003-09-11 05:22 pm (UTC)Good job!
no subject
Date: 2003-09-11 05:45 pm (UTC)*hugs*
no subject
Date: 2003-09-11 05:49 pm (UTC)Second, you might want to get in touch with your local ACLU office. You can find their contact information at www.aclu.org, and you can look under the section 'driving while black or brown' to get some information about this kind of thing if you're interested, which sadly and unfortunately happens all too often. I'm glad you were there.
props
Date: 2003-09-11 07:02 pm (UTC)I hardly think being "advocate for the oppressed" is going to make a blip on the Big Brother radar. :) If it does, I'll chip in on your bail money.
I'm proud of you!
Re: gold star for jude.
Date: 2003-09-11 07:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-09-11 07:28 pm (UTC)I get so nervous when I hear about people, especially young people, going into the police force or the military. I wonder about their motives. I realize this is horribly shortsighted of me, and probably has little basis in reality, but the younger the police officer, the more nervous I am.
I bet your dad is fantastic.
no subject
no subject
Re: w00t!!
no subject
And you should come with your mom. You could all stay at my place. ;)
no subject
Date: 2003-09-11 07:32 pm (UTC)no subject
no subject
Date: 2003-09-11 07:34 pm (UTC)Re: props
Date: 2003-09-11 07:35 pm (UTC)You forget - these are the days of "Homeland Security" and the elimination of our civil rights. Le sigh.
But I'll keep you in mind if I ever need bail. :)
no subject
Date: 2003-09-11 07:43 pm (UTC)Re: gold star for jude.
Date: 2003-09-11 08:05 pm (UTC)At my particular "job" I have to wear a thing called a "suit" which is really "uncomfortable" and "i don't like it."
Re: gold star for jude.
Date: 2003-09-11 08:17 pm (UTC)Suckers.
Re: gold star for jude.
Date: 2003-09-11 08:42 pm (UTC)Wow, quotation marks make anything funny
no subject
Date: 2003-09-11 09:06 pm (UTC)I told her! I was like, "I have a friend in Columbus, and if you brought me and gave her two VIP tickets, I'm sure she'd put us up!"
I tried.
Meanwhile, I will be in school at that point. I was willing to skip it, but she said no. Pooh. I'll see them in December though.
no subject
Date: 2003-09-11 09:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-09-11 11:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-09-12 05:59 am (UTC)no subject
It would be fun to see S&G with YOU!
no subject
Date: 2003-09-12 06:01 am (UTC)I guess I'd better start writing that letter to the editor.
Re: gold star for jude.
Date: 2003-09-12 09:19 am (UTC)"indeed"
no subject
Date: 2003-09-12 12:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-09-12 01:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-09-13 12:44 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-09-13 11:01 pm (UTC)Trust me, she's going to be travelling with her groupie friend, it would be so loud/crazy at your place anyway.
But yes, I would love to see S & G with you. We'll have to settle for Ani or Tegan and Sara or something. Come to the city as soon as you can!!!!!
no subject
Date: 2003-09-14 10:01 am (UTC)If she would like to repay me for that information by helping her meet Paul, hell, that would be okay, too. ;)
When I get a job with money, I will come to the City!
no subject
Date: 2003-09-14 02:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-09-14 03:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-09-20 06:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-09-20 09:37 pm (UTC)1. The man was arrested for jaywalking, at an intersection with no crosswalks.
2. There is a continuum of racism, and Asians are closest to white people on that continuum.
3. The Columbus Police Department has a history of racial profiling against African Americans.
4. You weren't on my street corner that day, were you? I didn't think so.
Thank you, drive through. Next time leave your name, though. And use paragraphs.