I am an African American woman and have always known, been cognizant of brutality by police officers.
When I was a young teenager, my younger brother was walking from the 95th Street El Station in Chicago. He went to Wisconsin for the weekend to ski and was dropped off there. My brother called home, but no one was there, so he decided to start walking.
Well, guess what happened while walking down 95th Street with his skis, the Chicago Police stopped him. White officers.
He was asked about where he got his skis, what he was doing with them, why he was walking. My brother answered their questions and wanted to know what he did. They did not believe the skis were his, hinted at theft and hauled him to the police station.
Well, the detectives wanted to talk to him. He refused, said he was 15 years old, wanted to call home or get a lawyer.
He called my father at work, my mother was finally contacted and both went to the precinct. Well, I can tell you my parents "WENT OFF" on the police officers and detectives. My father asked the detectives, "Why are you trying to interview a 15 year old boy without his parents or attorneys?" And my mother stated, "The only thing my son did was walk from the 95th Street El Station with HIS SKIS, yes, the skis are his!!"
Well, the police apologized after real threat of legal action. The Captain came to our home the next day, and apologized. They actually did some investigation and found out that this black young man from a working family on the South Side, actually went to Brother Rice High School and came from a SKIING TRIP. The apologies was on-going and my parents accepted and told the Captain to get out of our house. I still don't trust the police.
I recall this because it is the problem with many police departments across this country, today and it goes back to when I was a kid. Still, many white officers perceive many African Americans as the enemy, corrupt, criminal, all because of how we look. And god forbid if we actually have a good job and can drive a Cadillac, Mercedes-Benz or BMW. If we are in a black neighborhood, the flashing lights of the police is there to pull you over for NOTHING. It happens all the time. The norm, not the exception.
I bring the following police brutality up below. This could so easily be my father. The tiny town of Ingster, outside of Detroit is about to pay out millions because their police officer with a very sketchy, racial past did this to a retired auto worker.