N.C. police pepper spray black teen in his own home

[mizzou]

Where's that Chris Rock video on how to not get your ass kicked by the police?

 

[CitizenKain]

It's not the police who are escalating things in a lot of these cases. "Hey, passenger, you look like a fugitive we're looking for. Can I see your ID?" "No! F you!" "Hey kid, the neighbors called and reported a break in. Can you prove you live here?" - Followed by an ID with a different address and no pictures of him among the family pictures. Followed by the kid getting belligerent.

Yea, imagine being somewhat uncooperative to being interrogated in your house by racist cops. But somehow the person who gets pepper sprayed/tased/shot is always the one causing the problems.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

I understand that there are too many anti-cop threads started here and a lot of them are really minor complaints used by people to justify an absurd hatred of police officers. That's silly. But this case is indefensible. There should never be a time where you are subject to pepper spray and arrest for peacefully existing in your own home. Pretty sure we have an entire Constitutional Amendment dedicated exclusively to that. "White people don't have black kids" is not a valid justification for accosting a teenager in his home. What an insane fuck-up on behalf of those officers.

 

[mizzou]

I understand that there are too many anti-cop threads started here and a lot of them are really minor complaints used by people to justify an absurd hatred of police officers. That's silly. But this case is indefensible. There should never be a time where you are subject to pepper spray and arrest for peacefully existing in your own home. Pretty sure we have an entire Constitutional Amendment dedicated exclusively to that. "White people don't have black kids" is not a valid justification for accosting a teenager in his home. What an insane fuck-up on behalf of those officers.

What would you do if you went into a house where a burglar was reportedly still inside. And when you get inside, the guy is like "@#%@# YOU I AINT SAYIN SHIT".

 

[QueBert]

Every cop is bad, even the ones who don't do shit like this know about the cops who do and don't do anything just keep their mouths shut. If my friend had shot someone and I knew about it. If I didn't turn him in and he gets caught and the fact I knew comes out. I'm up shits creek, police officers need to be held to these same sort of standards.

I know it will never happen, but it's a nice thought.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

What would you do if you went into a house where a burglar was reportedly still inside. And when you get inside, the guy is like "@#%@# YOU I AINT SAYIN SHIT".

Ah, so we're just inventing a reaction (suitably, a scary black man swearing at us) and then deciding how we would respond if we were law enforcement officials (which we aren't). In which case, I would not stop at pepper spraying that rude man, I'd also shoot the fridge a couple of times and set a cold mug on his coffee table without a coaster. Cause I don't tolerate no disrespect, right?

Or we could work with what the article says, which is that this large black teen, upon being confronted by police officers in his own home, replied "For what? This is my house." Now, if I'm a police officer, and I'm in a house dealing with a potential robbery suspect, and that suspect informs me that "this is my house," I don't give a fuck how rude he is when he says it, I treat that information as though it's true and work to verify it. Because if it is true, it gives a very legitimate reason for his anger, and it means that I might be in violation of the Constitution of the United States of America, which I take pretty seriously. And, no, the proper way to verify it is not "you aren't in these pictures of white people, therefore you're an intruder."

 

[lopri]

I am really shocked and disturbed by racism expressed in unadulterated languages in these threads on AT. I can only hope the silent majority who read those comments shake their heads.

 

[Pipeline 1010]

What would you do if you went into a house where a burglar was reportedly still inside. And when you get inside, the guy is like "@#%@# YOU I AINT SAYIN SHIT".

Well that doesn't seem to relate to this case. If it did, the guy first would have told me he lived there. Then, for it to relate to this case, I'd have to then call him a liar because there are only pics of white people in this house and he is black.

Then, if he said "@#%@# YOU I AINT SAYIN SHIT", my natural reaction wouldn't be to taze him, punch him, mace him, or otherwise hurt him. Only assholes do those things in response to words. Only assholes.

The next step on my part would probably to attempt to verify this person did or did not actually live there. Maybe by contacting homeowners. Maybe by some other means, like contacting the kid's school. Again, the response to someone saying they aren't going to talk to me is NOT beating their ass. Even if they said it not so nicely and I got an ouchie on my feelings. Why do I feel like I'm explaining things to a child?

 

[z1ggy]

Why couldn't the kid just tell the cops to call his foster parents for confirmation? Or even better, call them up and tell them to come home and confirm in person.

Meanwhile, even though it sucks, I still maintain people need to be aware of what the police can and will do to you, despite it's legality. Is it worth getting pepper sprayed/beaten/shot just because "F THE POLICE!!!" ???

The best thing you can do is be overly cooperative and proper with them. That way, when they violate your Rights, you have a nice lawsuit on your hands, where you show your cooperation and willingness to give the police what they want, and then the police being racist asshats who have no regard for the law. It's a sure win.

But instead, the record would now show the kid being confrontational and rude to police. Even if they are in the wrong, more people might side with the police force on this one simply due to the reaction by the kid.

Shame on both ends I say.

 

[dmcowen674]

I understand that there are too many anti-cop threads started here and a lot of them are really minor complaints used by people to justify an absurd hatred of police officers. That's silly.

But this case is indefensible.

There should never be a time where you are subject to pepper spray and arrest for peacefully existing in your own home.

Pretty sure we have an entire Constitutional Amendment dedicated exclusively to that. "White people don't have black kids" is not a valid justification for accosting a teenager in his home. What an insane fuck-up on behalf of those officers.

Yet you see a thread full of people supporting the cops.

Very sad state the Country is in and getting worse by the day.

 

[master_shake_]

Why couldn't the kid just tell the cops to call his foster parents for confirmation? Or even better, call them up and tell them to come home and confirm in person.

Meanwhile, even though it sucks, I still maintain people need to be aware of what the police can and will do to you, despite it's legality. Is it worth getting pepper sprayed/beaten/shot just because "F THE POLICE!!!" ???

The best thing you can do is be overly cooperative and proper with them. That way, when they violate your Rights, you have a nice lawsuit on your hands, where you show your cooperation and willingness to give the police what they want, and then the police being racist asshats who have no regard for the law. It's a sure win.

But instead, the record would now show the kid being confrontational and rude to police. Even if they are in the wrong, more people might side with the police force on this one simply due to the reaction by the kid.

Shame on both ends I say.

great idea pull out a cell phone.

then we'd have spidey in here saying good shoot.

 

[Pipeline 1010]

The best thing you can do is be overly cooperative and proper with them. That way, when they violate your Rights, you have a nice lawsuit on your hands, where you show your cooperation and willingness to give the police what they want, and then the police being racist asshats who have no regard for the law. It's a sure win.

So your solution to cops who can violate your rights and get away with it is to be super duper proper to them and let them violate your rights? And then you can sue the innocent citizens who DIDN'T violate your rights? I don't know the solution, but I don't like yours. Yours is better than nothing I guess but it doesn't fix anything.

 

[glenn1]

So your solution to cops who can violate your rights and get away with it is to be super duper proper to them and let them violate your rights? And then you can sue the innocent citizens who DIDN'T violate your rights? I don't know the solution, but I don't like yours. Yours is better than nothing I guess but it doesn't fix anything.

And yours is to simply take the word of someone who might be a felon and require the policy to deescalate when they refuse to cooperate. So when your mother gets raped the perp can simply tell the cops "she's my wife" and tell them to go away when they order him to stop.

 

[Pipeline 1010]

And yours is to simply take the word of someone who might be a felon and require the policy to deescalate when they refuse to cooperate. So when your mother gets raped the perp can simply tell the cops "she's my wife" and tell them to go away when they order him to stop.

I have said the cops should work to corroborate the word of someone who might be a criminal, not to simply take their word. For instance, if they could get in contact with the homeowner, then they could find out if he belongs there or not. Nowhere did I say the cops should just go away.

I'm not sure how you get that cops shouldn't stop a rape in progress out of what I said. Your mental gymnastics, although impressive, don't seem to apply in this case.

 

[JEDIYoda]

What would you do if you went into a house where a burglar was reportedly still inside. And when you get inside, the guy is like "@#%@# YOU I AINT SAYIN SHIT".

That's stupid...what would I say?? As soon as I saw that it was my adopted BLACK son I say "good afternoon" son.....

 

[Jaskalas]

Pepper spray... could have been a taser or a gun. He's lucky he's alive.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

Meanwhile, even though it sucks, I still maintain people need to be aware of what the police can and will do to you, despite it's legality. Is it worth getting pepper sprayed/beaten/shot just because "F THE POLICE!!!" ???

The best thing you can do is be overly cooperative and proper with them. That way, when they violate your Rights, you have a nice lawsuit on your hands, where you show your cooperation and willingness to give the police what they want, and then the police being racist asshats who have no regard for the law. It's a sure win.

But instead, the record would now show the kid being confrontational and rude to police. Even if they are in the wrong, more people might side with the police force on this one simply due to the reaction by the kid.

Shame on both ends I say.

Some people will side with a rapist because a woman wore a short skirt in a bad part of town; that doesn't make their position right. We have a full-fledged Constitutional Amendment that flat out states:

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

So I frankly couldn't give half a shit about someone who says, "well, he should have just listened to the cops." Bullshit. He was IN HIS HOME. Our founding fathers recognized the sanctity of the home; that's why they specifically mentioned "houses" in the Fourth Amendment. And there's no justification for police officers violating the sanctity of the home because a racist neighbor doesn't know who lives next door. I mean, you have conservatives who get a hard on for a rancher who threatens to shoot federal officers trying to kick him off land he doesn't even own, but a black kid in his own house? That guy needs to learn some respect.

 

[Jaskalas]

Did the officers not have probable cause to search the house, and question the person inside?

 

[Atomic Playboy]

Did the officers not have probable cause to search the house, and question the person inside?

No. They had the word of a neighbor who apparently didn't actually know who lived next door. And even if you accept that as probable cause to question the person inside, following the answer of "I live here," the acceptable response is not "no pictures of you, pepper spray." What's to stop me calling the cops on you saying I saw you break in to your own home? Yeah, you could show ID, but why should you? This is America; "papers please," is kind of anathema to what we stand for.

 

[mizzou]

Did the officers not have probable cause to search the house, and question the person inside?

"Responding to a neighbor's report of a break-in"

There is your investigative purpose to check the house and enter if it is open. Much of these incidents where police get involved in problems stem from nosey neighbors or people just passing by.

If they go in to the house, and have problems confirming the person in there actually lives there, they have to try and investigate it vs saying "Nah fuck it, he said he lives here let's leave" If that was the case, all burglars could just casually say "This is my house" and then they are done.

Sounds like he was being a dick because he thought he was being profiled, so he got controlled with pepper spray. I can understand why he would be a dick, but in the big picture they HAVE to do their job, otherwise it's fucked up just letting burglars get away with it.

 

[mizzou]

No. They had the word of a neighbor who apparently didn't actually know who lived next door. And even if you accept that as probable cause to question the person inside, following the answer of "I live here," the acceptable response is not "no pictures of you, pepper spray." What's to stop me calling the cops on you saying I saw you break in to your own home? Yeah, you could show ID, but why should you? This is America; "papers please," is kind of anathema to what we stand for.

#1 you would be breaking the law by filing a false police report

#2 resident would want to show ID so you could immediately remove the police's suspicion that a crime had occurred.

Why would you want to try and prove something in court when you could just do it there face to face?

 

[Atomic Playboy]

#1 you would be breaking the law by filing a false police report

#2 resident would want to show ID so you could immediately remove the police's suspicion that a crime had occurred.

Why would you want to try and prove something in court when you could just do it there face to face?

He did show ID. What criminal shows a cop ID and then persists to lie about living in the house he's breaking into? That's some great dedication to the role.

This whole thing is like David Chappelle's bit from Killin' Them Softly:

Somebody broke into my house once. That's a good time to call the police, but mm mm, nope. The house was too nice. It wasn't like it was a real nice house, but they'd never believe I lived in it. They'd be like "He's still here!" *thunk* "Oh my god. Open and shut case, Johnson. I saw this once when I was a rookie. Apparently this black guy broke in and hung up pictures of his family everywhere."

 

[mizzou]

He did show ID. What criminal shows a cop ID and then persists to lie about living in the house he's breaking into? That's some great dedication to the role.

This whole thing is like David Chappelle's bit from Killin' Them Softly:

Was referencing the comment not this situation. The details in this incident aren't really clear, they just say he got beligerant...I'd imagine his pepper spraying was cause of that.

Would love to see a lapel cam of this though, see if he was being an uncooperative ass or if the police were just being too shortsighted to understand what was going on.

 

[NoStateofMind]

The statistics are 99.9999% of employes of U.S. law enforcement agencies did not piss you off today.

Neither did the 99.9999% of drivers people came in contact with today. Yet when they get in an accident they don't get the privilege of being in a separate class not beholden to the same laws as the rest of us.

 

[NoStateofMind]

The kid should have never opened the door. Let them knock.

The cop should have asked "is there anyone we can contact that would confirm this is your address"? I guess pepper spray saves breath?