“It Just Ain’t Righteous”: On Witnessing Black Crooks and White Cops

“It Just Ain’t Righteous”: On Witnessing Black Crooks and White Cops

On numerous occasions I’ve seen police cars come to a screeching halt and policemen scatter in apprehending a suspect. Each time, save one, the apprehended black male was dragged along the pavement, smacked in the face, or otherwise abused. This happened as a matter of course, after he was handcuffed, and before he was thrown into the van.

It has become an unstated rule in the black community that a crowd should quickly gather around an arrested suspect in order to restrain the behavior of the police officers. In some instances, for reasons that still baffle me, one of the arresting officers will almost impulsively, as if by instinct, kick the handcuffed black man in the groin. Deduce what you may from this, but I’ve long since realized that in all important respects stereotypes of black men might as well be true. Such was the nature of law enforcement in my neighborhood.

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