IN
AN ERA WHERE IT SEEMS AS THOUGH BLACK PEOPLE HAVE
INCIDENTS WHERE PEOPLE CALL THE COPS ON THEM FOR ALL SORTS OF
RIDICULOUS REASONS, MORE STORIES ARE POPPING UP SHOWING BLACK
INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE DOING THEIR JOBS AND UNIFORMS FACING
CRITICISM AND THREATS OF POLICE BEING CALLED ON THEM.
A RECENT EXAMPLE FEATURES A BLACK FIREFIGHTER FROM THE
OAKLAND AREA, HIS NAME IS KEVIN MOORE.
HE WAS DOING ROUTINE INSPECTIONS INTO PEOPLE'S BACKYARDS.
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DOES THIS IN ORDER TO FOLLOW CALIFORNIA
FIRE CODE.
THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT CHIMNEYS DON'T HAVE ANY
TYPE OF DRIVE VEGETATION NEAR THEM.
THEY DID THIS TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS NOTHING IN THE
BACKYARD THAT COULD LEAD TO A FIRE.
AND APPARENTLY, WHILE KEVIN MOORE WAS JUST DOING HIS
JOB, A RESIDENT DECIDED TO CALL THE COPS ON HIM BECAUSE HE
LOOKED SUSPICIOUS.
MIND YOU, HE WAS WEARING HIS FIREFIGHTER UNIFORM.
LET ME GIVE YOU THE DETAILS.
THIS IS ACCORDING TO THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE:
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS RESPONDED TO THIS SAYING:
THAT IS FROM THE CAPTAIN DAMON
COVINGTON.
THE TYPICALLY WHAT HAPPENS AND
I'VE EXPERIENCES WITH THE
DWP, THEY WILL KNOCK ON THE DOOR AND LET THE INDIVIDUAL
KNOW, THE PROPERTY OWNER KNOW, WE HAVE TO DO THIS
INSPECTION, WE ARE GOING TO GO IN THE BACKYARD.
IF THE OFFICIALS KNOCK ON THE DOOR, FIREFIGHTERS KNOCK ON
THE DOOR AND NO ONE ANSWERS, THEY ARE STILL SUPPOSED TO
GO TO THE BACKYARD AND DO THEIR JOBS BECAUSE IT IS AN
IMPORTANT JOB TO DO.
THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED HERE BUT UNFORTUNATELY, HE
WAS MET WITH A CALL WITH THE AUTHORITIES.
THE WAY THAT HE DESCRIBES WHAT HAPPENED WHEN THIS PERSON
CONFRONTED HIM, HE IS LIKE, THIS PERSON, YOU CANNOT INSPECT
HERE, HE KIND OF STARTLED ME.
HE SAYS WELL, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?
AND THEN MOORE RESPONDS, WE ARE HERE DOING OUR ANNUAL
VEGETATION INSPECTION.
THEN THE GUY WHO WAS SUSPICIOUS OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT
PERSON SAID, HE ASKED FRIDAY.
MOORE SHOWS HIM THE ID.
A DUDE TAKES A PICTURE, LOOKS AT IT AND SAYS THAT MOORE NEEDS
TO GET A DIFFERENT ID AND MOORE RESPOND'S I HAVE HAD THAT
ID FOR YEARS, IT'S KIND OF DARK AND I AM DARK SKIN BUT YOU
CAN STILL SEE ME.
AT THAT POINT YOU ARE WONDERING, WHAT DOES THIS GUY HAVE TO DO?
WHAT DOES THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, THE FIREFIGHTER HAVE TO DO
IN ORDER TO CONVINCE YOU THAT HE IS AN ACTUAL FIREFIGHTER.
HE THEN GOES ON AND SAYS IF THE RESIDENT WAS SO CONCERNED HE
COULD JUST LOOK OUT ON THE STREET AND SEE A VERY RED
LARGE FIRE ENGINE IS RIGHT THERE.
IF NOT FIREFIGHTER, THIS IS THE MOST COMMITTED AND AT THAT
POINT, HE IS INSPECTING MY BUSHES.
THIEVES THESE DAYS ARE GETTING INVENTIVE.
THEY STILL FIRE TRUCKS, FIRE UNIFORMS, THEY PUT THEM ON, THEY
PARKED IT IN FRONT OF YOUR HOUSE AS LOUD AS THEY ARE, THEY GO TO
THE BACK, THEY HAVE IDENTIFICATION THAT COINCIDE
WITH THEIR PERSON AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ALL JUST A CASE
YOUR HOUSE.
THAT IS A MILLION-DOLLAR FIRETRUCK.
IT'S SO MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE.
THEY ARE JUST TO RICH THESE DAYS.
THE MAN WHO QUESTION THE FIREFIGHTER SAID THAT THE
FIREFIGHTER LOOKED SUSPICIOUS BECAUSE HE WAS WEARING WHITE
TENNIS SHOES.
THAT IS ALL IT TAKES.
BLACK SKIN, WHITE TENNIS SHOES.
HE DOES NOT MATTER IF THERE'S A TRUCK IN THE FRONT YARD
PARKED IN FRONT OF THE YARD.
IT DOES NOT MATTER IF HE IS WEARING A UNIFORM OR GIVES
YOU THE ID THAT YOU ASKED FOR.
HE GAVE THE ID, THINK ABOUT HOW ANNOYING THAT IS AND HOW
PATIENT YOU HAVE TO BE TO COMPLY WITH THAT BUT HE DID, HE
COMPLIED WITH IT.
AND BY THE WAY, ANOTHER THING, DID NOT LOSE HIS TEMPER,
WAS INCREDIBLY PATIENT WITH THIS RESIDENT, DID EVERYTHING RIGHT.
IF ANYONE APPROACHED ME AS I WAS DOING MY JOB, SITTING AT MY
DESK, READING AND RESEARCHING AND TRYING STARTED ASKING
ME QUESTIONS AND QUESTIONING MY RIGHT TO BE THERE, AS I DO
MY JOB, I WOULD LOSE MY MIND.
WITHIN TWO SECONDS, IT WOULDN'T EVEN, I WOULDN'T BE PATIENT
AT ALL, NOT EVEN FOR A 2ND.
I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND.
THIS IS IN CALIFORNIA, BY THE WAY.
LIBERAL CALIFORNIA, THIS HIPPIE BASTION.
THE BAY AREA, THIS GUY IS DOING HIS JOB.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO SAY.
HOW ABOUT THAT OFFICER KEVIN MOORE WAS AMONG A GROUP OF
FIREFIGHTERS PARTNERED WITH THE CITY COUNCIL AVERY AND HEROISM
AWARD IN 2008.
HE JUMPED INTO A RAVINE TO SAVE PASSENGERS TRAPPED IN AN
OVERTURNED VEHICLE.
BUT DID HE?
AS IDENTIFICATION?
AND WHEN HE GOT TO THE BOTTOM AND AS HE WAS RAISING THE PEOPLE
THEY WERE LIKE CAN I SEE YOUR ID?
I KNOW YOU ARE WEARING A FIREFIGHTER HAD YOU ARE IN
THIS
RAVINE, BUT -- IT'S A LITTLE DARK.