Epic Beard Man
Bearded Philosopher
*The following recently happened and is an anecdote however given the climate that many black and brown individuals face in the inner city, this event is indicative of the type of profiling that goes on.
I was recently stopped yesterday and placed in the back seat of a police car for investigatory reasons. now to get here let me dial it back to the beginning. Prior to going to work, I was having car trouble at my house as my car wouldn't kick over so no worries I ended up calling uber on my phone app and sure enough I was on my way. Now twelve hours later, I needed a ride back home and one of the RNs in my department didn't mind helping me out to drop me off. Now during my shift, my uncle was recently hospitalized for high fever and incontinence so to check on him I prompted my co-worker to drop me off on his street which was a block over from my house. While walking, I had spotted two L.A. County Sherriff deputies patrolling his street doing all kinds of U-Turns in apparent attempt to look for someone. I made eye contact with one, waved my hand in a salutation and kept it moving.
Approximately not even a minute later as I was coming up to my uncle's house the same deputy whom I've made eye contact with drove and jumped the side walk I was on only to hop out and ask me if I was the one that had witnessed a car accident a couple days ago. I concurred that an accident did occur around that time in which I administered assistance to a young lady who was disorient and who appeared to have been released from my hospital (she word blue "scrub" pants and our hospital socks not to mention I asked her if she was released and she did acknowledge in the affirmative, and she was also a psychiatric patient). Apparently according to this deputy the detective working on that case wanted to identify me because apparently in that major cross street there are several cameras somehow they singled me out among others who were there.
The deputy then told me to turn around and place my hands in an upside down prayer position while being detained and searched. I asked the officer why am I being detained, and according to the officer, he stated I was being detained because the detective wanted to identify me. I informed the officer that I'm a hospital employee, and I just got off of work and was visiting my uncle. Apparently, the officer knew I was obviously an employee considering in my right back pocket I had hospital gloves, and my badge as he placed it on the hood of his vehicle. The officer then placed me in the back seat of his patrol vehicle (I'm 6ft and 230lbs and this was extremely uncomfortable) where I was to wait while he called the detective. Shocked as I was, I tried to recall the events of that accident to see if I had done anything wrong.
While the officer was on the phone I overheard him say to whoever he was speaking to on the phone that "I didn't run his name for any criminal background." The officer hung up the phone, asked me my name and date of birth and ran my name. I asked the officer why is my name being ran. the officer said, "to identify who you are." Who knew that doing a good deed would land me in the back seat of a patrol vehicle. Now in my mind if this was a mishap of information and considering I was never questioned on scene and also considering I assisted the officer upon arrival, I didn't realize I'd be criminally investigated for something that had nothing to do with me. After running my name nothing popped up he shut his computer off and let me out and I was free to go.
With a smile on his face, he apologized and went about his business. This is one of many examples. I've been stopped on foot and was frisked without provocation. I don't even wear hats any more since certain hats are associated with certain gangs. More importantly, what bothers me wasn't the fact I was questioned, what bothers me was that I was questioned with my hospital attire on and treated as if I committed a crime. Of course I could have pressed the issue but usually complaints really don't get you nowhere but many of us in these communities get our rights violated and sadly enough, we've become complacent.
I was recently stopped yesterday and placed in the back seat of a police car for investigatory reasons. now to get here let me dial it back to the beginning. Prior to going to work, I was having car trouble at my house as my car wouldn't kick over so no worries I ended up calling uber on my phone app and sure enough I was on my way. Now twelve hours later, I needed a ride back home and one of the RNs in my department didn't mind helping me out to drop me off. Now during my shift, my uncle was recently hospitalized for high fever and incontinence so to check on him I prompted my co-worker to drop me off on his street which was a block over from my house. While walking, I had spotted two L.A. County Sherriff deputies patrolling his street doing all kinds of U-Turns in apparent attempt to look for someone. I made eye contact with one, waved my hand in a salutation and kept it moving.
Approximately not even a minute later as I was coming up to my uncle's house the same deputy whom I've made eye contact with drove and jumped the side walk I was on only to hop out and ask me if I was the one that had witnessed a car accident a couple days ago. I concurred that an accident did occur around that time in which I administered assistance to a young lady who was disorient and who appeared to have been released from my hospital (she word blue "scrub" pants and our hospital socks not to mention I asked her if she was released and she did acknowledge in the affirmative, and she was also a psychiatric patient). Apparently according to this deputy the detective working on that case wanted to identify me because apparently in that major cross street there are several cameras somehow they singled me out among others who were there.
The deputy then told me to turn around and place my hands in an upside down prayer position while being detained and searched. I asked the officer why am I being detained, and according to the officer, he stated I was being detained because the detective wanted to identify me. I informed the officer that I'm a hospital employee, and I just got off of work and was visiting my uncle. Apparently, the officer knew I was obviously an employee considering in my right back pocket I had hospital gloves, and my badge as he placed it on the hood of his vehicle. The officer then placed me in the back seat of his patrol vehicle (I'm 6ft and 230lbs and this was extremely uncomfortable) where I was to wait while he called the detective. Shocked as I was, I tried to recall the events of that accident to see if I had done anything wrong.
While the officer was on the phone I overheard him say to whoever he was speaking to on the phone that "I didn't run his name for any criminal background." The officer hung up the phone, asked me my name and date of birth and ran my name. I asked the officer why is my name being ran. the officer said, "to identify who you are." Who knew that doing a good deed would land me in the back seat of a patrol vehicle. Now in my mind if this was a mishap of information and considering I was never questioned on scene and also considering I assisted the officer upon arrival, I didn't realize I'd be criminally investigated for something that had nothing to do with me. After running my name nothing popped up he shut his computer off and let me out and I was free to go.
With a smile on his face, he apologized and went about his business. This is one of many examples. I've been stopped on foot and was frisked without provocation. I don't even wear hats any more since certain hats are associated with certain gangs. More importantly, what bothers me wasn't the fact I was questioned, what bothers me was that I was questioned with my hospital attire on and treated as if I committed a crime. Of course I could have pressed the issue but usually complaints really don't get you nowhere but many of us in these communities get our rights violated and sadly enough, we've become complacent.
