Plight of the Fortunate

As I approached an intersection, the light was changing from yellow to red, so I came to a stop. Once the light turned green, I began to pull away, only to be pulled over by a police officer. I knew I wasn’t speeding so when the sirens started blaring, I was genuinely surprised. However, I was calm because my parents taught us exactly what to do if we were ever pulled over by the cops. Once I stopped, I immediately pulled out my license and registration, placed my hands on the dashboard, and waited for the officer to approach. A White officer approached from the rear of my vehicle and ordered me to produce my license and registration. I spoke in an even tone, asking, “Good afternoon officer, can I ask what I failed to do?” The officer sounded hurried and impatient as he said, “We have reason to believe that you were involved in an altercation at the King Soopers on Colorado Boulevard about 20 minutes ago.” As I looked directly into the officer’s eyes, I said, “I did leave from there not too long ago, but the commotion had already started when I arrived. I got what I needed and started my return home. I didn’t stop to see what was going on. It didn’t concern me, sir.” The officer was shocked for some reason. “Are you sure that was all you were doing over there?” he asked me in an accusatory tone. “Yes sir. With all that commotion going on, I just wanted to get home.” I guess my answer was not good enough for him because he was yelling now, “Get your behind out of the car, NOW!” I’ve had enough conversations with my parents to know not to say anything, except to answer questions directly as they are asked and to cooperate fully so not to make the situation worse. “Yes sir. I am removing my seatbelt so that I can follow your instructions,” I told him as I was trying to do exactly what he asked. “Look Boy, are you deaf? I know you heard me! Get a move on, NOW! I don’t have all day,” he said, still yelling. By now, a couple of people had pulled up and taken out their cell phones and started recording. “Put the phones away, there is nothing to see here,” the officer could be heard telling the bystanders. “Hurry up Boy. Get the lead out of your butt and move,” he told me, fully incensed. The next moment brought swift change as the situation escalated. My driver’s side door was flung open, and I was jerked out of my seat and thrown down to the concrete below. “You couldn’t mind your own business, huh? You just had to make it a point to disturb others who were simply going about their day,” the officer shouted as he removed his handcuffs. Things were happening quickly. I could hear everything the officer was shouting at me, but I was honestly confused because I knew I hadn’t done anything wrong. “Don’t you move! Stay still! Do what I say, you will be sorry if you don’t! You WILL NOT get away with this!” the officer said as he continued his rough handling of me. “What did he do wrong?” a woman who was nearby could be heard asking. “Mind your business, ma’am, this situation doesn’t concern you,” he snapped back. Right about this time, Mr. Palmer was riding past. He immediately called my dad who had just made it home. “Say Drew, you and Sophie need to get down here right now. A police officer has Gabriel pulled over and is rough handling him on the ground. There is a crowd gathered. Get here quick,” Mr. P. said. Mrs. Richardson and Gina had just made it home also when my parents came rushing out of the house. My mom called Delila to find out where she and Devin were. “Stay where you are, we are coming to get you, the police have your brother pulled over and it’s not looking too good. Don’t move! Your dad and I are coming right now,” she told my sister as dad pulled out of the driveway. Within two minutes my parents, Mr. Palmer, Mrs. Richardson, Gina, Devin, and Delila had all shown up on the scene. As my mom got out of the car, she could be heard talking to one of the women. “Excuse me, ma’am, can you tell me what is going on here, that is my son over there. Did he do something wrong?” she was asking. “No ma’am not at all. Apparently, there was an altercation down at the supermarket on Colorado Boulevard and they think your son had a part in some altercation,” the woman told my mother. One of the other men who had witnessed the events recognized my father immediately. “Hey, AC, I got the entire thing recorded on my phone, Gabe didn’t do nothing wrong. He has been nothing but cooperative, but this cop has one hell of an ax to grind,” he told my father. The precinct got word of the situation and how quickly it escalated because just after my parents arrived, three other police cruisers pulled up and started barricading off a section of the street. As this was going on, I was being lifted off the ground. The sound of my face being bounced off the hood of my car was unmistakable. One of the other officers seeing what his colleague had done, rushed the officer who had stopped me and took him to the ground. “C’mon Davis, that wasn’t necessary, this kid is no threat!” the officer was shouting as he got the officer who had pulled me over off me. “Turn the bodycam off man, turn it off now,” Officer Davis could be heard telling another officer. “Can’t do that, D, you are on your own, too many eyewitnesses,” the officer told Davis in response.