A while ago I talked about police abusing their power. I think we have a tendency to think this usually happens in isolated incidents with “bad apples,” but I think it speaks to a much deeper problem. I think it has a lot to do with how we as humans act when given physical power and control over others.
What I’d like to discuss and hear from you are stories, first hand or ones you’ve heard from others first hand accounts, of police abusing their power. Anything from discriminate traffic stops to beatings is acceptable to share. And with that I would love to hear your thoughts on whether the incident was one were you felt it was specific to that unique officer or something that you think many in that officers situation might do.
Discuss away!
i have a friend who is here legally from indonesia. the other day as she was driving to work a cop drove into her lane and almost hit her. so, she honked at him. he tailed her for a while and then pulled her over. he then told her she was speeding and she politely told him she was not, she had her cruise set at 68. he asked to see her “papers” and luckily she had them in the car since she had just had her visa renewed for work. when he looked at them he said “you aren’t even an american and you think you can tell me what to do?” (referring to her honking at him) she explained that he had swirved into her lane and that is why she honked at him, to make sure he saw her. he then went on to harrass her about this and tell her that she better watch it because he could have her deported! can you believe that? she was SO angry about this and i was too! she didn’t end up getting a ticket becuase he had no reason to give her one. he simply had his pride hurt by being honked at so he decided to use his “power” to make himself feel better. i figure this is a pretty good story to start you off, eh?
i went to the youth detention center in birmingham last night on a “ministry” opportunity. i spoke with three young black men with similar stories. only one was in there justly, but believed God had placed him in there to keep him safe. he was inthere for having a gun on him. the other 2 were at the wrong place at the wrong time and the police did not believe their stories.
the first was about to be beaten up by 4 guys, another comes along to help him, pulls a gun and shoot sin teh air so everyone starts running. the police grab him as the shooter without checking the gun for prints or him for GSR.
the second story was very similar to the first.
the third had a cousin shot and himself threatened. he went home, grabbed a gun and cam eback where the police grabbed him. he firmly believes that he is in there so he was not killed.
makes you definitely not trust or believe in our damaged judicial system.
My brother apparently appears to be Latino and he has a name that is Portuguese but sounds Spanish to those who don’t know the difference. He gets harassed by cops all of the time. They come up with all sorts of excuses for pulling him over. Once they said that his bumper stickers were too big. They all know him well since they constantly harass him. Once they pulled him over and said they were looking for a Hispanic guy named Juan. He said, “I’m not Juan and I’m not Hispanic” and they kept saying that he met the description even though they already knew he was not Juan. He has been pulled over on his bike many times and was once ticketed for speeding on his bike even though he wasn’t. He went to court for that one and won. He was once pulled over for not using his turn signal and was made to get out of the car and get down on the ground. There’s more than that, but that’s about all that I’m allowed to share.
Wow, I wasn’t expecting everyone to jump in with such intense stories!
Jody, any chance she got the officers badge number? or even a description. I think that would be a great thing for our community group or church to do a letter writing campaign around.
What do you think?
John Q, welcome to the system.
Indie, man, I’m sorry your brother has had those experiences. Have you or he felt there was any responses that can be taken?
Recently, a few of my friends were at a school playground area just playing sports, such as basketball and light boxing with gloves. This place is pretty open to the public on weekends, as other people were there, like a few neighborhood teens and some elderly white people walking their dogs and such.
Then a police car drives across the field and yells at us on his loud speaker, “The folks here don’t want your kind here. Leave.” He only said this to the Asians and the Blacks.
American cops are pathetic.