A MAN WAS RIDING A BUS WHEN HE
WITNESSED A SEXUAL HARASSMENT OCCUR ON THE BUS.
WE HAVE THE
VIDEO, CHECK OUT WHAT HAPPENED.
>> THAT IS WHAT WAS CAPTURED ON VIDEO.
BUT HE ACTUALLY WENT ON
FACEBOOK AND DETAILED ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE, AND THEN
FOLLOWING WHEN HE WAS PLACED IN
HANDCUFFS.
I WILL READ YOU A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT HE SAID ON
FACEBOOK.
EVENTUALLY
WHEN POLICE ARRIVED, A SGT.
DID RELEASE HIM
AT THE SCENE.
HE GOES ON TO SAY
THIS.
THIS DID END ON A VERY POSITIVE TAKE.
I THINK THIS IS A
VERY RESILIENT INDIVIDUAL FOR THIS TO HAPPEN TO.
I WANT TO GET
A REACTION FROM BOTH OF YOU.
WATCHING THIS VIDEO AGAIN IS
REALLY DISHEARTENING TO SEE THE
REALIZATION WASH OVER HIS FACE AS HE IS ñ HE DID EVERYTHING
THAT HE SHOULD HAVE, HE ASKED PEOPLE TO RECORD, HE IS
RESTRAINING THIS GUY, AND YET HE STILL PLACED IN HANDCUFFS.
DO
YOU THINK THE POLICE ACTED
ACCORDINGLY?
>>OF COURSE, HE WAS A VIOLENT ANGRY BLACK MAN.
OF COURSE.
HE
WAS RESISTING ARREST, THE OTHER
PERSON.
AND HE WAS INEBRIATED, WAS SCREAMING OBSCENITIES.
HE
WAS LITERALLY SITTING DOWN ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BUS SAYING
HE TRIED TO ATTACK ME.
WITH THIS HAVE HAPPENED IF HE WAS WHITE
AND THE OTHER TWO WAS BLACK OR ANOTHER ETHNICITY?
POSSIBLY.
I AM NOT GOING TO ROLL THAT OUT.
BUT IN THIS INSTANCE DID THEY ARREST HIM INAPPROPRIATELY?
ABSOLUTELY?
>> I THINK THAT MOMENT WHERE HE GOES ñ I THINK ALMOST EVERY
AFRICAN-AMERICAN IN THE COUNTRY
CAN RELATE TO THAT MOMENT.
WHERE THEY DO SOMETHING GOOD AND NOW
THEY ARE GOING TO GO PUT IT ON
ME.
SO THEY HANDCUFFED HIM OUTSIDE.
IT IS GOOD NEWS AT THE
END THAT THEY FINALLY GOT SOME SENSE IN THEM AND DID NOT BRING
HIM DOWN AND ARREST HIM.
BUT YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO PUT HANDCUFFS ON
HIM.
HE IS NOT GOING ANYWHERE.
>>HE WAS NOT A FLIGHT RISK AT ALL.
>> BEFORE YOU GO TO PUT HANDCUFFS ON ANYONE, WHAT YOU
JUST ASK THE GIRL WHO WAS RIGHT AND WHO IS WRONG?
THEN YOU WILL
OF COURSE DO MORE INVESTIGATIONS.
BUT THEY WILL
TELL YOU WHO WAS RIGHT AND WRONG
ENOUGH TO KNOW IF YOU SHOULD HANDCUFF THIS GUY.
THERE IS AN
ASSUMPTION BASED ON RACE.
THE ASSUMPTION IS I HAVE TO HANDCUFF
THIS GUY, THERE IS A CONFLICT.
HANDCUFFED HIM FIRST, ASK
QUESTIONS LATER.
ANOTHER FACTOR IS AGE, HOW YOU ARE DRESSED.
IF
THAT IS A 60-YEAR-OLD WHITE MAN IN A BUSINESS OUTFIT, THERE IS
NO WAY IN THE WORLD THEY HANDCUFFED HIM.
YOU KNOW IT?
>>I MENTIONED IT JUST FOR THOSE IN THE AUDIENCE THAT WOULD BE
LIKE NO, THERE IS ONE INSTANCE I THOUGHT IN THE LOCAL NEWS
REPORT.
BUT YOU ARE RIGHT.
WHAT IS REALLY INTERESTING, THERE IS
A FOLLOW-UP VIDEO THAT WE DIDN'T
SHOW HERE WHERE HE IS SAYING I AM A COLLEGE GRADUATE, I HAVE NO
PRIORS, DON'T ARREST ME.
IF THEY DO ARREST HIM AND DETAIN HIM,
BOOM, HE IS IN THE SYSTEM.
ALL OF A SUDDEN, FOR NO REASON
WHATSOEVER, NOW HE HAS PRIORS.
NOW WHEN SOMEONE ARRESTS HIM
AGAIN IN THE FUTURE, MAYBE FOR DOING ANOTHER GREAT THING, MAYBE
HE WILL STOP A PERSON SNATCHER, THEY WILL SAY WAIT A MINUTE, HE
HAS BEEN ARRESTED FOR DISORDERLY
CONDUCT OR ASSAULT.
IT DOESN'T MATTER IF THAT PERSON WAS
SEXUALLY ASSAULTING A MINOR, WE HAVE TO ARREST YOU, SORRY.
YOU
ARE A SCARY BLACK GUY.
NOW THE NEXT TIME HE GETS ARRESTED HE IS IN THE SYSTEM.
>> HOPEFULLY HE WON'T.
I GOT ARRESTED ONCE, IT WAS A FALSE
ARREST, HE GOT EXPUNGED.
THE WHOLE COURT SAID IT SHOULD'VE
NEVER HAPPENED, IT IS GONE.
THE NEXT TIME I GET PULLED OVER FOR
A SPEEDING VIOLATION, THEY SAY
SO I SEE YOU HAVE BEEN ARRESTED.
THAT GUY, HE HAS TO EXPLAIN I
HAVE BEEN A GOOD SAMARITAN.
HE WAS DOING THE RIGHT THING AND
TRYING TO HELP SOMEONE.
CAN YOU NOT SEE THE FRUSTRATION OF
AFRICAN-AMERICANS WHEN THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH SOMETHING LIKE
THAT?
I KEEP ASKING PEOPLE TO EMPATHIZE JUST A LITTLE BIT.
>> THAT IS WHY ATLANTA IS REALLY GOOD AS WELL.
IS A GOOD SHOW.
>> PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SAYING THAT THE POLICE WERE JUST RESPONDING
TO WHAT THEY SAW AT THE TIME.
WE CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT IT MUST BE
LIKE TO BE IN THE SHOES OF THOSE
POLICE OFFICERS.
I AM JUST TRYING TO PRESENT WHERE PEOPLE
SAY.
THEY ARE SAYING THERE IS A SKY THAT HAS BEEN ASSAULTED,
THEN THEY HAVE THIS OTHER GUY
WHO WAS YELLING AND VERY CLEARLY IMPASSIONED ABOUT WHAT IS
HAPPENED.
WHILE I FEEL IT IS CLEAR THAT IN THE PLACE OF THESE
POLICE OFFICERS THE ADRENALINE IS RUSHING, MAYBE WE WOULD DO
THE SAME THING?
DO YOU THINK THAT IS A FAIR ARGUMENT?
>> NO.
>>I WILL GIVE YOU ANOTHER EXAMPLE.
MY FRIENDS WERE
INVOLVED IN A FIGHT IN HIGH
SCHOOL, WE WERE THE GOOD STUDENTS, AND THEN THE COPS
SHOWED UP.
THERE WAS A FIGHT BACK AND FORTH.
THE COPS ASKED
AROUND AND FIGURED OUT WHO STARTED THE FIGHT.
ONE SIDE WAS
DOING SELF-DEFENSE, AND THE
OTHERS STARTED IT.
SO NO, THEY DON'T HAVE TO ARREST EVERYONE.
ESPECIALLY IN A SITUATION LIKE THIS.
THE GUY WAS JUST SITTING
DOWN.
I AM NOT SAYING THE MOMENT THEY SHOWED UP ñ THEY SEE ONE
GUY
THAT WAS BLOODIED UP.
JUST TAKE A MINUTE TO ASSESS WHAT
HAPPENED BEFORE YOU GO AROUND HANDCUFFING THE REST OF THE
WORLD.
IF YOU LIVE IN A NICE SUBURB IT HAPPENS ALL
THE TIME.