Driving While Black continues to be dangerous

**Theophylact** · April 4th, 2012, 03:30 PM

Cop runs license check on a suspicious vehicle. Although they apparently committed no traffic violation, cop insists that his decision to run a check had nothing to do with the fact that the occupants were black, and happened to be driving in an affluent, predominately white neighborhood. The cop’s partner apparently then enters the wrong license number, which returns a car that had been reported stolen. So cop follows car into driveway, which happens to be the home of the driver’s parents, where he lives. Cop approaches driver and occupant with his gun drawn. Driver’s parents come out to see what’s causing the commotion. Cop roughs up driver’s mother. Driver gets up from ground to tell cop to lay off of his mother. Cop shoots driver, a full 32 seconds after pulling into the driveway.

The driver, who was unarmed, will now carry a bullet in his liver for the rest of his life. The cop was charged with first degree aggravated assault. A jury acquitted him. Now this week, U.S. District Judge Melinda Harmon dismissed the driver’s lawsuit against both the cop that fired his gun and the cop who entered the wrong license plate number, citing qualified immunity. According to Harmon, the officer acted “reasonably,” and moreover, wrongly accusing an unarmed man of stealing a car, pointing a gun at him, then shooting him in the liver, “did not violate [his] constitutional rights.”

Both cops are back on the force. The guy with the bullet in his liver? Tough luck. He’ll be paying his own medical bills.

I guess the lesson here is that if you don’t want to get shot in the liver by a police officer in Bellaire, Texas, don’t drive the car you own and haven’t stolen to your parents’ house, where you happen to live. Or maybe the lesson is to not voice your objections when a cop pushes your mother after she asks why he’s pointing a gun at you, who have done nothing wrong. Or maybe the lesson is to avoid having a cop imagine that you’re reaching toward your waistband for a weapon that doesn’t exist.

Or maybe the lesson is just don’t be black in Bellaire, Texas.

**Max_Confusion** · April 4th, 2012, 03:38 PM

How much of the story are you not getting Theo?

Was the driver and his mother failing to obey the officer? Did they escalate the situation? instead of remaining calm and letting things settle down. Come'on Theo, to many times citizens are dicks to officers and make their own problems. Be polite, follow directions, don't argue. If you are not guilty of anything it will come out in the end, regardless of race.

**Theophylact** · April 4th, 2012, 04:50 PM

Originally Posted by Max_Confusion

Be polite, follow directions, don't argue. If you are not guilty of anything it will come out in the end, regardless of race.

Tell that to Amadou Diallo.

**nickslick74** · April 4th, 2012, 07:27 PM

Or Howard Morgan.

**Max_Confusion** · April 4th, 2012, 07:30 PM

Theo, quit being such a drama queen. I may be caucasian, but I'm dark skinned, I can pass for Mexican, easily. Guess what, I'm polite if pulled over for any reason, no ones caused me any problems. Most issues with officers stem from attitude problems on the part of those being pulled over. Many LEOs in my family, same reports from those who are BLACK,WHITE or HISPANIC, bad attitudes from those being checked out.

If he ran up the steps, and pulled something out of his pocket then he did not respond to directions. His fault, for NOT staying in place and showing hands. The 41 shots were overkill to say the least.

**RicheemxX** · April 4th, 2012, 07:53 PM

I'm not sure where the assertion would come in that the cop thought the car was stolen just because they were black. If you look at some of the images/video of the car from way back when this happened its a black SUV with tinted windows. At 2am I'm not sure how you'd be able to tell who is driving let alone the color of their skin.

The original reports also show some contradiction as to what might have happened. In the heat of action its a tough call especially when you are dealing with unknown factors like people coming out of the house but I'm not certain I see this as a scenario where the officer needed to shoot.

**Theophylact** · April 4th, 2012, 08:04 PM

Originally Posted by Max_Confusion

Theo, quit being such a drama queen. I may be caucasian, but I'm dark skinned, I can pass for Mexican, easily. Guess what, I'm polite if pulled over for any reason, no ones caused me any.

I'm polite, too. But "passing for Mexican" isn't the problem here.

**RicheemxX** · April 4th, 2012, 09:50 PM

Patricia Cook, Jason Kemp, Stephen Slevin - three white folks that have been in the news of late that all have faced as bad if not worse atrocities at the hands of the police but yet fail to garner the same attention of any of those mentioned here. Cops f**k up from time to time and screw over everyone not just minority groups.

I have no issue with calling it what it is and using the race card when its clearly needed and when race is clearly at play but some times shit happens to you just because it happens to you and not because of the color of your skin. Sometimes I read these stories and think the black community has a self perpetuated sense of victimization (not sure that is the correct term). There always seems to be a sense of "we are the victim here" or "we are a target" and sometimes I'm sure there is a case for that but not nearly as often as you hear it in the media.

**Epidemic** · April 5th, 2012, 07:44 AM

Racial profiling a car you are pulling over with tinted windows.

how does that happen?

**Chuckiechan** · April 5th, 2012, 11:53 AM

Years ago, a buddy and I were in a new Ford 3/4 ton truck south of Tucson AZ. For no reason we got pulled over by a AHP vehicle.

He asked for our registration and explained that we were stopped because we were a "High profile vehicle" - i.e. frequently stolen and driven into Mexico, never to be seen again.

We thanked him and went on our way. (BTW, To a place in the USA now considered too dangerous to visit!)

People are just too uptight.

Driver gets up from ground to tell cop to lay off of his mother

Dumb move. As far as the cop was concerned, the guy was either going to make a run for it, or attack him. The cop is going to control the scene and the people in it even if he has to taze, mace, or shoot someone to do it.

The black dude's problem was "attitude" against a police officer who made a mistake. It's not the black dude's job to right the wrongs at the scene. When it's all over he can file a complaint or get a lawyer.

**tony_j15** · April 5th, 2012, 01:40 PM

Racial profiling a car you are pulling over with tinted windows.

how does that happen?

Gotta agree there. If the windows are tinted, there would be no way for the cops to profile in that manner.

The black dude's problem was "attitude" against a police officer who made a mistake.

I think that's the point most people start to give "attitude": when you are pulled over and begin to get roughed up for no reason in the driveway of your mother's house So his response was perfectly valid. The police should have done a better job of controlling the situation...or not cause it at all.

It's not the black dude's job to right the wrongs at the scene. When it's all over he can file a complaint or get a lawyer.

That didn't work, now did it?

**Epidemic** · April 5th, 2012, 01:52 PM

[QUOTE=tony_j15;3327989]I think that's the point most people start to give "attitude": when you are pulled over and begin to get roughed up for no reason in the driveway of your mother's house So his response was perfectly valid. The police should have done a better job of controlling the situation...or not cause it at all.
QUOTE]

I got to disagree with you. If the cop tells you to lick the bottom of his shoe you make a mental not of it and you lick.

Seriously though if a cop tells you to get on the ground, you git on the ground. Perhaps a nice gentle request for why can be passed to him.

The police officer was taking down a could be car thief. He had to gain control of the situation. That cop wants to go home to his kid at night, and your actions can be perceived as threatening that homecoming.

I am amazed more people to not get their asses shot off with tony's possition on the situation. You have a person putting his life on the line for someone elses property for mehhhh pay. You obey and then take it up with a lawyer afterwords. 99.9% of police shootings beating and ... would go away if people simply followed one simple rule "Comply for now". If you don't give the cops a reason then you will find yourself back to business as usual very quickly.

This families wrong reaction would seem to be the primary mistake that lead to this situation. This tough guy attitude of "he did the right thing to defend his momma from a non life threatening situation" is stupid.

Now if the cop was beating her on the front porch and her life was in mortal perril then you takes your lumps and go to the rescue.

**tony_j15** · April 7th, 2012, 11:52 AM

Originally Posted by Epidemic

I got to disagree with you. If the cop tells you to lick the bottom of his shoe you make a mental not of it and you lick.

Yes....That doesn't cross any boundaries at all. I agree that the best, least confrontational method is to just go along with it. That'll keep criminal prosecution off of you and make you look that much better when your lawsuit rolls up. But you would probably be livid as all hell, and so an angry response is not only valid, it should be expected. This puts the burden on the officer, as the instigating party to properly handle the situation. In this case, their failure is obvious.

The police officer was taking down a could be car thief. He had to gain control of the situation. That cop wants to go home to his kid at night, and your actions can be perceived as threatening that homecoming.

The "could be" was based on his mistake. And gaining control of the situation implies he lost control due to his ineptitude. Perhaps if he worked a little more on his communication skills instead of jumping out of his car with gun drawn and acting like an immature Rambo the situation would have been avoided.

I am amazed more people to not get their asses shot off with tony's possition on the situation.

Or their liver.

You have a person putting his life on the line for someone elses property for mehhhh pay. You obey and then take it up with a lawyer afterwords.

That didn't work, now did it?

99.9% of police shootings beating and ... would go away if people simply followed one simple rule "Comply for now".

Epistats?

I agree, more situations would not arise if people would comply. But cornered animals bite. We are no different. The burden lies with the officers to not cause these sort of situations.

This families wrong reaction would seem to be the primary mistake that lead to this situation. This tough guy attitude of "he did the right thing to defend his momma from a non life threatening situation" is stupid.

The primary mistake was the officers' for causing the situation. That is beyond obvious. And the officer came out with gun drawn. So that blows your "non-life threatening situation" argument to bits. Oh, and did you notice someone got shot?

**Pexster** · April 7th, 2012, 01:40 PM

Originally Posted by tony_j15

Epistats?

I agree, more situations would not arise if people would comply. But cornered animals bite. We are no different. The burden lies with the officers to not cause these sort of situations.

Couldn't agree more. It's amazing how we can so easily make the victim into the aggressor.

**brandon184** · April 7th, 2012, 03:35 PM

There are absolutely cases where police officers make mistakes and overstep their bounds. Happens every day, sometimes it involves prejudices and racism.

That said, I find it shocking how some people treat police officers. Have some respect for the person and the process they have to follow, and the outcomes will be better for everyone. Make things difficult for them and don't be surprised when they use the resources they have to make things difficult for you.

**Pexster** · April 7th, 2012, 03:56 PM

Originally Posted by brandon184

There are absolutely cases where police officers make mistakes and overstep their bounds. Happens every day, sometimes it involves prejudices and racism.

That said, I find it shocking how some people treat police officers. Have some respect for the person and the process they have to follow, and the outcomes will be better for everyone. Make things difficult for them and don't be surprised when they use the resources they have to make things difficult for you.

QFT, Brandon. But I also completely understand how a certain subset of our society might feel differently. As an example (and I know I mentioned this before), in the '80s when I bartended at UCSD's pub, one of my friends was an Afro-American doing his post-doc in opthomalogy next door at the VA. He routinely got rousted by the police. Why? He had dreads. End of story. You tell me it's different now.