Do you personally know a police officer who arrested someone because of race? If so, what happened?

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 10 Jul 2016 19:08:46 -0400

Curious if anyone has witnessed race being the primary reason someone was unjustly detained or arrested. I have witnessed people getting arrested in many situations, but typically it involves the person breaking the law and then doubling down by being disrespectful and in general a jerk.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 10 at 2016 7:11 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 10 Jul 2016 19:11:10 -0400

I have never seen race as an issue in my limited interactions and observations of law enforcement. To be fair, I live in one of the least diverse states in the union.

Response by Capt Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 10 at 2016 7:13 PM

Capt Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 10 Jul 2016 19:13:51 -0400

I know or have known several police officers personally. I know of no one being arrested because of race.

If they did what would be the charge?

Perhaps there is some officers who are more likely to stop or arrest a black, but, I don't know of any.

Response by SPC Dawud Makonnen made Jul 10 at 2016 7:23 PM

SPC Dawud Makonnen — Sun, 10 Jul 2016 19:23:33 -0400

I've had a few minor incidents in NY & Oakland, CA where my brother and I were stopped by police because we're black. I've also had good experiences as well. However there are times as a black man pulled over by white cops and they walk to the car with hand on gun, and in some cases they're already irritated and cooperating doesn't defuse the situation. It's very very tense.

Response by MCPO Roger Collins made Jul 10 at 2016 7:33 PM

MCPO Roger Collins — Sun, 10 Jul 2016 19:33:46 -0400

Most LEOs have a unique personality trait. That is because they have to convey an "I am in charge" persona, because anything else would lead to a bad result. I have met quite a few, and if you are not in the brotherhood, you are not in the inner circle. Even if a relative. That being said, if I had an emergency, I know they would come to the rescue without reservation to family, friends or any other factor. There is a reason 50 of them lose their lives each year, none of which were from being shot in the back.

Response by SSG Robert Webster made Jul 10 at 2016 7:37 PM

SSG Robert Webster — Sun, 10 Jul 2016 19:37:55 -0400

Unjustly detained yes, arrested NO; personally know or knew the officer - NO. The incidents were isolated, however I have personally seen it more than once. And complaining about it does not work, unless you are one of the politically correct and connected individuals. i.e. Got Money.

Actually some of you may have actually seen these actions and cheered them on when it is called profiling, when it is done for the right reasons and in a more or less legal manner, it is not as insidious as it can be when placed into action by poorly trained LEOs. In its worst form it is called stereotyping.
But what bothers me the most is when the LEO lies to your face about the reason for the stop/detention, and there is very little that most people can do about the situation. This is another reason that dash cams and body cams are more and more being demanded that police forces are outfitted with them.

Response by MSG Pat Colby made Jul 10 at 2016 7:38 PM

MSG Pat Colby — Sun, 10 Jul 2016 19:38:38 -0400

Back in the 80's as a Reservist, I did a few ride-a-longs with my 1SG, a Minneapolis Cop.

One evening there was a building scheduled for demolition the following morning. The place was rigged with explosives and ready to make some dust. The streets surrounding the building were cordoned off. As we made a pass in the Squad car, some (Black) idiot was wandering across the street towards the building. Jim (my 1SG) told him to turn around and go to the other side of the street. The fool kept walking towards the building. He was arrested for "Aggravated Jay-walking". The entire time in the back seat he kept screaming and pulling the race card. His last name was Washington and Jim told me he was a known trouble-maker.

At the time I was a School Bus Driver and we did Charter runs too. Less than a week later I was downtown with several other drivers. One driver was a hot female named Char. Freaking sure enough here comes Washington harassing Char. Several people told him to leave her alone and he kept messing with her. As I walked up I screamed "WASHINGTON! YOU WANT TO SPEND ANOTHER NIGHT LIKE SATURDAY?!" He recognized me and started walking across the street the other way. Then I screamed "USE THE PEDESTRIAN CROSSING!" Funny as hell, he went back to the sidewalk and quick-stepped to the crossing and waited for the light to turn green.

Without a doubt he had a chip on his shoulder and everything was all about race. The reality is, he's a fucking idiot.

Response by SPC George Rudenko made Jul 10 at 2016 7:59 PM

SPC George Rudenko — Sun, 10 Jul 2016 19:59:23 -0400

I did the federal thing for most of my career. Customs. And we were specifically told you can never select a person based on race. I don't know of anyone who was ever singled out or punished for doing that. All that said, we were told that we can take into account where a person came from. E.g. Blood diamonds, narco trafficking, terrorisn, smuggling. So how can a cop on any level do what I just said and not look like they're discriminating?

Response by Sgt Tom Cunnally made Jul 10 at 2016 8:39 PM

Sgt Tom Cunnally — Sun, 10 Jul 2016 20:39:57 -0400

No not recently but do recall some events down south that were really tough to believe.

Response by SGT Jerrold Pesz made Jul 10 at 2016 8:43 PM

SGT Jerrold Pesz — Sun, 10 Jul 2016 20:43:19 -0400

I never arrested anyone because of their race and I never saw anyone else do it. However at least 90% of the minority offenders that I arrested or saw arrested claimed that was the reason.

Response by Sgt David G Duchesneau made Jul 10 at 2016 8:53 PM

Sgt David G Duchesneau — Sun, 10 Jul 2016 20:53:40 -0400

I was a Trooper during the 70s,80s and the beginning of the 1990s and I can tell you that I never stopped, ticketed or arrested anyone because of their race. Hell, I wasn't prejudice at all. Everyone was fair game and everyone was treated the same. Now there were a few exceptions and those were the people that did not know enough to keep their freaking mouth shut. You know what I mean! lol To those people I had a saying and it had nothing to do with race. FEA!

Response by SSG Michael LeGrand made Jul 10 at 2016 10:24 PM

SSG Michael LeGrand — Sun, 10 Jul 2016 22:24:05 -0400

To be honest, this question doesn't make much sense because there is no cop in America (regardless of their color)that is going to tell you or admit that they arrested someone based on their "color". Its just not going to happen....

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 10 at 2016 11:10 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 10 Jul 2016 23:10:48 -0400

My son is a police officer and has arrested people of a different ethnicity. He even had to break a window to "drag" suspect woman out of the car. He had a body camera on a volume turned up, he did every thing by the book, and the woman was arrested and went to jail. She refused to roll down her window or follow his orders (requests).

I do not understand, who told some people that they should be uncooperative or rude or down right ugly with their language and gestures. The police officers I know follow their ROE, it's the suspects that escalate some of the situations and the officer can also escalate, but I don't know of any.

Response by FN Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 11 at 2016 12:04 AM

FN Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 11 Jul 2016 00:04:27 -0400

I think when it comes down to the heat of the moment you have to make split second decisions and have to react. Everyone profiles. It's in every human's nature to judge, compare and make choices. I know the truth because I wasn't there. Who knows what really happened? No one.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 11 at 2016 12:29 AM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 11 Jul 2016 00:29:29 -0400

I apprehended a SGT who raced out of the Burger King at Patrick Henry Village. He blew a .14 and his career.

Response by MSgt Ken Flood made Jul 11 at 2016 9:44 AM

MSgt Ken Flood — Mon, 11 Jul 2016 09:44:03 -0400

It wasn't an arrest but just a traffic stop. I was attending NCO Leadership school at Barksdale AFB, La. in1973. A group of four of us decided to go for a ride around the area off base. Three of us were white and one black. We all piled into the car, as it turned out the seating was two white in the rear, white driver and the black guy in the front passenger seat. We were pulled over by a Louisiana State Policeman. The only reason for the stop was that the black guy was in the front seat. The police went straight to the passenger side and leaned into the window. I'll never forget his words, "Down here niggers ride in the back, or are the driver serving the good white folk. Now get your black ass out of there and get in the back where you belong." I'm from New Jersey and this was my first encounter with blatant racism. We did as instructed and quickly returned to the Base, everyone was in total shock, except the black guy who said not to worry about it, that's just how it is in the south.

Response by Capt Mark Strobl made Jul 11 at 2016 4:34 PM

Capt Mark Strobl — Mon, 11 Jul 2016 16:34:11 -0400

CPT Private RallyPoint Member - Watched my roommate of two years get "Rodney King'ed" in our front lawn. We was subsequently jailed after the WWE beat-down. Less than six weeks after that incident, he was awarded an tremendous amount of money by (redacted) County of Colorado. I suppose the DA decided 1.) They got the wrong guy, and 2.) It was not OK to beat up an innocent man. The arresting officer was overly apologetic after the deposition. Seemed they were looking for three young black men driving a late-model, metallic-colored Mustang. They beat up two cadets and one Midshipmen driving my '82 Subaru GL who were wearing matching Phi-Psi fraternity jackets... very popular gang "colors." Yeah... It was racial profiling, Gone Wrong. Although I do believe that particular police department has substantially improved. But at the time, it took the testimony of a white man to straighten things out.

Response by PO2 Steven Hardy made Jul 12 at 2016 7:44 AM

PO2 Steven Hardy — Tue, 12 Jul 2016 07:44:53 -0400

I was USCG and one of our missions was law enforcement. I'm fairly certain that none of us targeted anyone due to race. There were a number of racial slurs tossed about when I was in the North Arabian Sea, but that wasn't law enforcement.

Response by SSgt Lawrence Peacock made Jul 12 at 2016 8:02 AM

SSgt Lawrence Peacock — Tue, 12 Jul 2016 08:02:41 -0400

Almost impossible to answer unless the officer says so. Just because a officer is white and acts rude some may think the officer was being racist; when in fact that is just their personality across the board.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 12 at 2016 8:49 AM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 12 Jul 2016 08:49:41 -0400

Unless an officer tells you it's because of race or he's using racial slurs towards you, you're only guessing. However, I have been stopped (only once) and perceived it was because of race in White Settlement Texas where the Armory (duty station) was located. Driving home around 2130hrs in my truck that has 22 inch rims on it, a cop made a u-turn and drove behind me for about 30 seconds then I was pulled over. The officer asked for my license and where was I coming from. I asked him why was I pulled over and he replied, "Your license plate light is dim." I then tell him that I have a CHL and my 45 is on the right side of my hip and my license is in my back right pocket. He removes his weapon and tells me not to touch my weapon but to slowly grab my wallet and hand him both licenses. I do so very slowly. He checks for warrants and returns with my licenses and said everything was clear have a nice night. I wait for him to depart and get out to check my license plate light of course and was shocked to see nothing wrong with my license plate. Was the stop because of a suspicious vehicle? As an Active Duty Soldier, I drove the same route every day and some nights for eight years and have not been stopped again and have not changed the light bulb.

Race? Just my perception. However, I thank God for law enforcement officers across the country. Heck, my dad was a cop. You're going to have some cops who shouldn't be cops just as we have Soldiers who shouldn't be Soldiers. Cops who fail to follow the rules, regulations, guidelines, policies, etc., should be charged just as Soldiers who violate the UCMJ are charged. -Just my two pennies

Response by CW3 Susan Burkholder made Jul 12 at 2016 9:23 AM

CW3 Susan Burkholder — Tue, 12 Jul 2016 09:23:39 -0400

Seriously? Did you expect some one to raise their hand and say me, me, me, I always arrest people based on race? This would be similar to asking a business owner or an HR person if they hire people based on race and not qualifications. It reminds me of a saying that if you are drinking too much at a party and some one tells you that you should not drink anymore and you get angry, then you probably ARE drinking too much. You seem to be looking for validation that cops are good people. Of course they are but they also need scrutiny/evaluation to keep them honest and ensure best practices. To get upset that the black community is criticizing police is like the alcoholic that gets defensive when told he is drunk.

Response by LT Michael Scott made Jul 12 at 2016 9:24 AM

LT Michael Scott — Tue, 12 Jul 2016 09:24:56 -0400

Having been a police officer prior to 9/11 amd state trooper after I did see concerns with investigating foreigners that resembled middle east descent. These concerns were in the form of question after a probable cause stop was initiated for the safety of our citizens.

Response by Capt Jason S. made Jul 12 at 2016 9:37 AM

Capt Jason S. — Tue, 12 Jul 2016 09:37:59 -0400

I grew up in a family of police officers, fire fighters and service members on both sides for generations. I have witnessed harassment by police to groups (teens, lower ranked military, poor and men).
I have seen favoritism towards beautiful women, men dressed in a suit and higher ranked military members too. So I don’t doubt that racism is experienced from what I have experienced.
I have found if you treat the older officer with respect and follow their instructions they will usually let you off with a warning if the infraction is minor. If they are a younger officer they tend to enforce more laws with tickets and less warnings.
We have rights but pride will land us in trouble every time. Being humble and respectful will get you a long way with authority. One of my First Sergeants once told me if you mess up weather by accident or on purpose it doesn’t matter, just be a man, don’t explain, and just tell me you’re ready for whatever punishment I have decided. Then 9 times out of 10 I will just let you off, especially if you rarely get in trouble.

Response by CWO2 Shelby DuBois made Jul 12 at 2016 9:45 AM

CWO2 Shelby DuBois — Tue, 12 Jul 2016 09:45:31 -0400

Only on every TV show and movie where the black guy is the good guy and they paint all cops as racist. The Hollywood crowd is as much to blame as anything.

Response by Cpl Justin Goolsby made Jul 12 at 2016 9:56 AM

Cpl Justin Goolsby — Tue, 12 Jul 2016 09:56:41 -0400

No I don't and in all my dealings with police I find the idea not only ridiculous, but offensive as well.

Where to begin... there was the police officer who arrested my crackhead neighbor for repeatedly trying to break into my house because he was so strung out. For the record, the crackhead was white.

Then there was the police officer who gave me his lunch when I was living on the streets. He even hung around and talked to me for a couple minutes while I ate.

Then there was the police officer who saw me walking with a gas can because I ran out of gas and he picked me up and gave me a ride back and forth. Yes, he did frisk me to make sure I wouldn't present a danger to him and I did sit in the back seat.

Then there was the time I was without a vehicle and had to walk to work. It started down pouring and a police officer stopped and gave me a ride the rest of the way.

Then there's the police that patrol my neighborhood during Halloween to make sure kids are safe and they even set up checkpoints where parents can bring candy to get screened for safety.

Then there's the police that protect my medic family from violent patients.

All of these things happened in different states, different neighborhoods, different officers, different races. I have seen more good come from police in my 33 years that goes completely unreported than the sensationalized stories the media comes up with to divide our Country further.

Response by PO2 Ron Burling made Jul 12 at 2016 10:44 AM

PO2 Ron Burling — Tue, 12 Jul 2016 10:44:40 -0400

I served as a California peace officer. I promise you, in most traffic stops, especially those made after dark, you don't know the race of the occupants until after you have stopped them and approached their vehicle. Pedestrian stops are different, but on those you are most frequently looking for a specific suspect described in the initial call for service. I seriously doubt the responses to that last option; "On multiple occasions I witness race being the primary reason for arrest". Our jails were never so empty we had to come up with 'bogus arrests' to keep the population inflated.

Response by LCpl James Robertson made Jul 12 at 2016 10:47 AM

LCpl James Robertson — Tue, 12 Jul 2016 10:47:27 -0400

Yes, myself riding through a town one day during a late evening the streets lights were on, I hadn't turn on my headlights yet, because I could still see very well. A Patrol car stopped me, the officer wouldn't get out of his patrol car, just parked behind me with blue lights on, and we sit and sit, finally I walked back to the patrol car and ask the officer what did he stop me for, the officer stated "boy" I can't let you drive that car like that. I gave him my driver's license and registration and ask him again and he stated again "boy" I can let you drive that car like that. The next thing he called back up, four officers surrounded me. These officer had no charges to charge me with so, his back up officers started talking real hateful towards me, to engage me into a fight. I stopped talking and were handcuffed and placed into the back of a patrol car, when I got to the jail the jailers on staff still tried to aggravate me into fighting them I refused. The magistrate came in about (90) minutes later the officers talked with him, so they came up with a bogus charge of improper equipment, in which every thing on the car were working perfectly. Now, no court date were given, it were only that I had to plead guilty to a bogus charge to have my freedom back, Are spend the next (20) days in jail with no bond. And to pay for my car being stored. There are to many incidents of racism so I will stop here, it bothers me each time I think of them.

Response by TSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 12 at 2016 10:53 AM

TSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 12 Jul 2016 10:53:47 -0400

Someone cannot be arrested "because of their race". They CAN however, be detained (an investigative stop or "Terry" stop) for fitting the physical description of a suspect.

Response by TSgt David Camin made Jul 12 at 2016 10:57 AM

TSgt David Camin — Tue, 12 Jul 2016 10:57:28 -0400

I live next to a reservation and I see it all the time. It is really strange to watch and see nobody really say anything because it usually happens in primarily the white communities outside the reservation. One time I gave a ride to a friend who was Native American and they noticed a tail light was out on my vehicle. To me this wasn't to big a deal. To late go buy one to replace it so I just accept I may get pulled over which I know I'll just get a warning but I would simply replace it the next day when places were open. They were really concerned and kept asking why I wasn't worried about being pulled over. I explained why and they were confused by it. I asked why. They said that most of their friends and people they knew who were Native American would be pulled over for it and would have their vehicle searched. My response was well if you don't have anything illegal than why worry about a search. They said it was just the way they felt having to sit in the back of the police car while the search was conducted and having to wait over an hour for the whole thing to be completed. I guess in a way I can understand if that is standard for every time you get pulled over. I mean how would you feel if every time you were pulled over and this happened. Imagine going to work and it happens. If you were a supervisor and someone worked under you told you that they were late because their vehicle had to be searched by the police. I think you would think something was going on with them because most people would think that an employee was doing something suspicious outside of work and that may cause you to trust the individual less. In small rural communities everyone sees and hears about everything so even when it comes to people renting places to individuals, they may not rent to them because they heard that they were pulled over and had their vehicle searched. It's not because they are Native American but because the first thought is that they may be involved in drugs which they aren't most of the times. There is also a lot of unfair treatment in the court system which everyone hears about but says nothing. The mayor of the town next to mine was caught stealing prescription pain killers out of people's houses. He would take his kids for a walk and stop at an elderly persons house that he knew was on pain killers and say his child had to use the bathroom. He would take the child into the bathroom and steal their pain killers. He did this to a lot of houses. You see his wife was a Physician assistant and he had a job at the chiropractors office so he knew who was on what pain killers because he was able to look in medical records. When they arrested him, he wasn't taken to jail but to rehab. When the case came to court it was tossed out because the deputy sheriff didn't read him his rights. Which is interesting because he was a deputy for over 5 years and never forgot to read anybody else their rights. Haven't met one Native American that received this same treatment. I've even seen several military members on leave get pulled over for DUI but when it gets to court it is always downgraded to reckless driving. It wasn't because they were just at the legal limit because a couple of them were very high BACs. When you ask around it usually downgraded out of concern for their future and to help that service member from getting into trouble when they return to duty. Sadly a Native American friend in the exact same situation was given a DUI which caused him trouble when he returned to duty. I wonder if it was because they didn't care much about his future. If you sit back and really look at situations that are happening to minorities and start to compare to cases concerning a white individual you start to see that their is a lot unfair treatment. It really all comes down to perception and also putting yourself in that individuals shoes to understand the feelings involved.

Response by COL Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 12 at 2016 11:08 AM

COL Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 12 Jul 2016 11:08:45 -0400

With all the officers I know and have served with (my best man is a cop) I have never known ONE to arrest someone based on race. Cops go after bad guys. They patrol in neighborhoods more prone to crime. The likelihood of getting smacked if you act like a disrespectful punk is pretty high regardless the environment, race, ethnicity or shoe size. Cops have a tough job and just want to go home to their families after a shift just like the rest of us. If you have run a stop sign going 10 miles over the posted limit, the cop hasn't pulled you over because of the color of your skin....

Response by LTC Andrew Addison made Jul 12 at 2016 11:33 AM

LTC Andrew Addison — Tue, 12 Jul 2016 11:33:48 -0400

Actually, yes. My brother was "arrested" by an AA police officer because he was with his black wife and then he was "unarrested" by a white officer since the AA officer was racist against a white guy with a black woman.

Response by 1stLt Kevin Paige made Jul 12 at 2016 11:38 AM

1stLt Kevin Paige — Tue, 12 Jul 2016 11:38:27 -0400

Yes I do. Former St Pete police Officer Joked about harassing and physically intimidating black males and then comparing stories with other officers. This guy is 6'5 and 275 lb. He told me this story about 10 years ago when we first met. My response: "you do know that I am black, right? If you weren't an old man I would take you outside and beat your ass!" Believe it or not today me and the guy are good friends. This guy is 78 years old and the stories took place after he got out of the Marine Corps in the 70s & 80s. He had a change of heart when his mixed race grandson was hit in the side of the head for not getting up fast enough, to address an officer, from trying to change a flat tire on his car in Safety Harbor Fl.

Response by TSgt Craig Crews made Jul 12 at 2016 12:25 PM

TSgt Craig Crews — Tue, 12 Jul 2016 12:25:57 -0400

I have been a victim and also witness folks being stopped for no apparent reason. Most of the situations turned out ok, but the reason we were stopped was never made known to us. It bothers me that folks don't believe that these things happen, much more frequently than reported. SO in my mind that is part of the problem is folks think we are lying when we tell these stories and most times I don't not relay these types of stories to Non-African Americans. Also I believe just like with Sexual Assault if ALL of US spoke out more we could stop or at least limit some of the cases. If we all stand up together and speak up against injustice, then we could stop the madness. In any of these cases we don't even seem to get all the facts, so I can only speak from my own experiences. I have been stopped More times than I can count, and in most of the cases for unknown reasons. So please Folks, LISTEN and have some empathy and if you see something that is wrong SAY something, so we can fix this. There are plenty of GREAT/GOOD cops out there, weed at the bad ones. I want my sons and grandsons to ARRIVE back home ALive....

Response by CPT Chris Newport made Jul 12 at 2016 12:35 PM

CPT Chris Newport — Tue, 12 Jul 2016 12:35:56 -0400

NO.

Response by SPC Donald Moore made Jul 12 at 2016 12:56 PM

SPC Donald Moore — Tue, 12 Jul 2016 12:56:00 -0400

I know a lot of Police and they have two classifications for people and color has nothing to do with it.
People are either assholes or they are not.
If you are not an asshole, when a police officer is arresting you, you cooperate.
If you are an asshole, when a police officer is arresting you, you fight.
If you fight a police officer when you are being arrested, you are telling that officer that you intend to kill the officer. Seriously. Do you think the officer is going to quit arresting you and apologize?
The only way you don't get arrested is to beat the officer which means you kicked their ass to the point they couldn't fight any more or you killed them. The thing to understand about that is, the police training is "escalation of force" and the police officer will kill you if they need to so that they don't lose. At that point it isn't about being a police officer, they just want to live, they just want to go home at the end of the day.
If you try to kill me, I will surely try to kill you back. It is only fair.
Easy solution, don't be an asshole.

Response by TSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 12 at 2016 1:30 PM

TSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 12 Jul 2016 13:30:13 -0400

Response by PO1 Roger Waddle made Jul 12 at 2016 1:39 PM

PO1 Roger Waddle — Tue, 12 Jul 2016 13:39:50 -0400

Everyone is a victim now, the problem is folks don't know how to act when/if they are stopped by police

Response by Sgt Philip Dipietro made Jul 12 at 2016 2:11 PM

Sgt Philip Dipietro — Tue, 12 Jul 2016 14:11:43 -0400

I myself have made mistakes and as such been arrested . At no time have I ever been mistreated even with me being belligerent towards the arresting officers. I complied with orders and suffered no mistreatment whatsoever .

Response by CPT Pedro Meza made Jul 12 at 2016 2:13 PM

CPT Pedro Meza — Tue, 12 Jul 2016 14:13:40 -0400

I was called Serpico and left the country in 98. Please look into the Rampart scandal!

Response by SPC Randy Torgerson made Jul 12 at 2016 2:16 PM

SPC Randy Torgerson — Tue, 12 Jul 2016 14:16:33 -0400

No I have never seen an arrest for anything other than 1 reason.... they broke the law. Because they were an asshole it didn't help their situation. But lets face the facts, lets all agree that its not possible to be arrested for anything other than breaking the law. To arrest someone because of their color is a major civil rights violation. What could you possible charge them with?

Ok, so the cop haters must be claiming that charges are made up just to arrest a person of color..... While I'm sure there are some bad cops and some raciest cops, it has to be such a small % its not worth discussing. However we are discussing it so here is my experience. When I was on the job I knew about a half dozen raciest cops. Each and every one of them avoided minorities whenever they could. My believe is more minorities got away because of this. Those cops just didn't want to speak with them or deal with them if they didn't have to. If they did have to they were very cordial because they just wanted the interaction to be over with. By the way, I don't know any raciest people that are raciest against one group of people. If your raciest your raciest. It doesn't matter if your white or a minority yourself. This nonsense that only white people are raciest is absolutely disgusting. Only a raciest would ever say such a thing.

Lastly, I've heard a lot lately about blacks claiming that you can only be raciest if your a color in power. Ok, so then who is the president of the united states? Seems like a person in power..... BTW this president is as raciest as JFK was.... The vast majority of Americans couldn't care less about color. What we care about is everyone following the same rules. We also shouldn't confuse profiling with racism. OMG I could discuss this topic for weeks just talking about the idiots on TV/News.

As far as this graph below, first off how do you know others who witnessed race as a primary factor? Because they told you, right? Those that witnessed isolated incidents that could have been race driven... Hmm, lets say 2 men rob a liquor store separately at 2 different stores and they are both caught. They are both arrested. One is white and one is black. Could the black male have been arrested with race being a primary factor? haha, its just sickening to hear this crap. And who are the people here voting saying they have witnessed multiple occasions of people being arrested and race was a primary reason for the arrest? Your either lying to promote this cause or your a criminal yourself. I guess you could be a police officer and thats why your around so many arrests... but then you should be reporting this to your superiors and doing something about it. But that might account for one or two of you, but not 15% (the poll shows at the time of my post). The whole national discussion on this is so dishonest.

No hate posts needed to me, I'm sure to many of you I must be raciest to make the comments that I have made. I must be raciest because I want people to come to America through the proper legal way. I must be raciest because I want any law abiding citizen to be able to defend themselves with a firearm if they are attacked or see someone else attacked.

Racism won't ever stop until we stop accusing the wrong people of racism and accuse the right people of racism.

Response by SSG Robert Albright made Jul 12 at 2016 2:28 PM

SSG Robert Albright — Tue, 12 Jul 2016 14:28:51 -0400

During some of the Alabama Hurricanes I was called out as an activated guardsman. In the week or so I was on hurricane duty, I would ride with the State Patrol and assist in whatever capacity was needed. Since I spent a lot of time with the same officer we exchanged stories. He never said that he arrested anyone based on race, but stated that in the past, when he had to make his "contact hours" with the public he would frequent an all black area around Mobile. Said he could make his quota of "contact hours" in a night or two there.

Response by SPC Michael Griggs made Jul 12 at 2016 3:22 PM

SPC Michael Griggs — Tue, 12 Jul 2016 15:22:26 -0400

The question itself is absurd. It assumes that race is regulated by a statute. A violation of law must occur for an areest. You might ask if you know some who was stopped because of their race, but that is a question of perception. This conversation will boil down to 2 sides pro BLM vs pro LE. We as a nation need to stop dividing ourselves into special groups and start finding commonalities that make us Americans.

Response by SGT John Beardsley made Jul 12 at 2016 5:24 PM

SGT John Beardsley — Tue, 12 Jul 2016 17:24:05 -0400

Arrested, no. Stopped and detained for no apparent reason? Yes. I've witnessed it going both ways . . . white officers seemingly targeting blacks, and blacks seemingly targeting whites. (I'm including Hispanics in the white category for purpose of this poll)

The situation when I believe the black officer (an MP) targeted the Hispanic (an Army NCO) happened at Fort Bragg. I didn't understand what I witnessed, and to this day consider the confrontation as one of the most disgraceful and non-professional displays by two soldiers I've seen.

Response by Cpl Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 12 at 2016 5:37 PM

Cpl Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 12 Jul 2016 17:37:04 -0400

I have fortunately never been arrested. I am Shoshone Bannock. I have been stopped numerous times where I live yet only have one ticket in my life. I do not know for sure the reason I have been stopped by police officer so I take their word for it. It is because my license plate light is too dim or tail light is out but came back on after they pulled me over or my registration's description of my vehicle did not match the color of my vehicle. These are the reasons the Police have came up with to stop me. I am not saying it is race at least one of the times I was driving slower than the posted speed limit at the time bars close so I assume that the officer thought I was drunk and pulled the registration thing just to have a reason to pull me over. I am usually very cooperative but do not consent to searches or anything else. For the most part Police a great people. I work with them everyday and that might be why I don't get pulled over as often anymore. It is definitely hard to determine a police officer stopped you because of race, but it is even more difficult to prove someone was arrested because of race. We all must remember the vast majority of law enforcement are outstanding citizens and just like any group of people there are not so good ones.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 12 at 2016 6:23 PM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 12 Jul 2016 18:23:32 -0400

75% of all illicit drug users in the US are white but they don't make up 75% of the prison population for drug offenses. A study found that a black male was 3 times more likely to be pulled over by the police but the white male was 4 times more likely to have drugs on them. Seems to me that the wrong portion of the population is being targeted.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 12 at 2016 7:04 PM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 12 Jul 2016 19:04:05 -0400

CPT Private RallyPoint Member Your entire premise is predicated on a false set of conditions sir. Respectfully I urge you to drop this matter.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 12 at 2016 7:38 PM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 12 Jul 2016 19:38:42 -0400

When i was younger i was or I thought i was. When your own race do dumb things and keep the stereo type going, its hard for the good guys not to get pulled over or arrested by the police.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 12 at 2016 8:45 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 12 Jul 2016 20:45:10 -0400

I was pulled over at 2 a.m. in West Anniston, Alabama by a black police officer and asked what's a a white boy doing in this neighborhood so late at night. I explained I worked down the road and was just finishing my shift, showed him my DOD badge to prove it and went about my business. Never thought twice about it, he has to answer to for that on judgement day not me.

Response by CPL Terrance Holmes made Jul 12 at 2016 8:52 PM

CPL Terrance Holmes — Tue, 12 Jul 2016 20:52:11 -0400

I've been accused of many things and ticketed unjustly, but not arrested probably because I know I cant talk my way out of predejices. How ever HPD has labeled me as a gang member, after I was stopped for walking down the side walk with two of my cousins.
Once while I was picking a buddy up from work, the police approached guns drawn, and detained me for hours claiming I was attempting to break into cars, they let me go with a ticket for "threat by conversation".
Once I was parked at a restaurant preparing to get out of my car and a white guy back into my parked car. I called the police and they gave me a ticket for hitting him, resulting in myour insurance having to pay for the damages to the other guys cars.
My earliest memory of the police was around 4or5. The knocked on my door and wanted to detain me for knocking down a fence I clearly at that age couldn't knock down.
So no they have never verbally said it was because I was black the manner they spoke and treated me clearly said it. During the ages between 15 and joining the Army I was stopped 2-4 times every week.

Response by CPL Darren Davis made Jul 13 at 2016 1:00 AM

CPL Darren Davis — Wed, 13 Jul 2016 01:00:29 -0400

yes I do as a former BIA officer and DOC officer I have dealt with the bullshit personally

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 13 at 2016 1:30 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 13 Jul 2016 01:30:52 -0400

Yes Sir, I was arrested for DV, my fiance'is white and I'm black, wasn't treated well by them either, to include what they said in their reports, but all charges were dismissed. So depending on where you're at it could be the main reason, but it's honestly not as bad as the media makes it out to be

Response by CWO2 Richard Rose made Jul 13 at 2016 1:32 AM

CWO2 Richard Rose — Wed, 13 Jul 2016 01:32:49 -0400

As a former police officer I never witnessed anything of the sort while I was on the job. If a substantialatted complaint was made it would be grounds for firing. The vast majority of our officers were veterans. We practiced "Community Policing" long before it had a name.

Response by SPC James Gehringer made Jul 13 at 2016 1:35 AM

SPC James Gehringer — Wed, 13 Jul 2016 01:35:33 -0400

i've never accually heard for any one who has arested just because of race generally you have to be doing something illegal to even get questioned by an officer but then how can you have a positive experince when they have cause (weithr it turns out to be founded or not) to think you have broken the law

Response by LT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 13 at 2016 3:27 AM

LT Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 13 Jul 2016 03:27:33 -0400

New York City's stop and frisk policies targeted minorities. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/23/opinion/policing-the-police-on-stop-and-frisk.html It's pretty rare that there is any recourse against an illegal search and seizure for a person not charged with a crime, because the Supreme Court has crafted the exclusionary rule as the primary recourse, and that helps only charged people exclude evidence at trial. So if the police stop you unconstitutionally, and then just let you go, your rights have been violated, but there's really nothing you can do. It's pretty rare that a police officer will say "I arrested this person because he is black." The process is far more insidious than that. The police tend to arrest people they think have committed a crime. So the minorities arrested have committed a crime, typically. So the easy answer to your questions is: "No." However, respectfully, your question is naively phrased. Because when you're looking for those crimes and criminals exclusively or almost exclusively among the black and minority population, as with the NYC stop and frisk, well that's a problem.

Policing the Police on Stop-and-Frisk

A court-appointed monitor is overseeing changes to ensure that the police have good reason to stop citizens, and that minorities are not targeted.

Response by MSgt Steven Holt, NRP, CCEMT-P made Jul 13 at 2016 7:01 AM

MSgt Steven Holt, NRP, CCEMT-P — Wed, 13 Jul 2016 07:01:48 -0400

Bad police officers do bad things and tarnish the reputation of the officers who are trying to improve their community. As a police officer, I never stopped, detained, or arrested anyone simply because of race or ethnicity. If I detained or arrested an individual, it was because I had reasonable belief they had violated a law.

Response by SMSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 13 at 2016 12:48 PM

SMSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 13 Jul 2016 12:48:25 -0400

My brother was harassed by a cop (black cop). After several incidents he told the cop he was going to the police station to file a complaint. When he and his friend arrived at the station they were separated and beaten by cops (white cops). Each officer emptied there mace in him. When my brother arrived at the hospital the doctors had to put on protective gear due to the amount of mace used on my brother before they could operate on him. This was before social media and cell phone cameras. The news station would not report it nor would a lawyer take his case. I grew up in MS and this was not rare occurrences. I was in my early 20s when a cop pulled me over and thus one particular time I really didn't know why do I asked. His response was suspicious diving. The look on my face my said it all, but I only responded okay. He asked me to get out the car patted me down and did a quick search of my vehicle. Things like this had happened to several men in my family growing up in the south.

Response by PFC John Villarreal made Jul 13 at 2016 2:45 PM

PFC John Villarreal — Wed, 13 Jul 2016 14:45:18 -0400

You are opening a can of worms, Sir.
Does this happen? Yes. That is not always the case. It's not always race, it's demographics. If the police are in a predominantly black neighborhood, most of the contact will be with POC. In a black neighborhood, a white guy driving a round would draw attention. Sometimes when a minority gets pulled over, be it Balck, Latino or otherwise, if they know they have something they shouldn't have, they throw the race card out there or start with the" I pay your salary" remarks. A simple stop, cracked windshield, broken taillight, failure to signal can lead to bigger things. Maybe the driver has a warrant, suspended license, is impaired, has drugs, just committed a crime, is there a gun in the car, the car may be stolen. Who knows. So try this, when a cop pulls you over, even if you don't agree with the stop,keep your hands on the wheel, provide your ID or license, registration and proof of insurance, take the ticket then fight it in traffic court.

Response by 1stSgt Brian Re made Jul 13 at 2016 4:53 PM

1stSgt Brian Re — Wed, 13 Jul 2016 16:53:54 -0400

I have been stopped unfairly, but not because of race. It was youth and a sports car. Cop said I ran a stop sign, that I did not, I came to a complete stop, but he wanted to give me a warning. Out of state plates probably didn't help either.

Response by CPT Chris Newport made Jul 13 at 2016 6:53 PM

CPT Chris Newport — Wed, 13 Jul 2016 18:53:37 -0400

Usually the only racial aspect to an arrest in my experience was basic stupid behavior on the part of suspects who refused to go along with the Officer's directions and or becoming violent for no rational reason.
They do not seem to understand that the officer with the Badge cannot back down and the issue is just going to get worse thanks to his behavior.

Response by PO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 14 at 2016 8:28 AM

PO1 Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 14 Jul 2016 08:28:12 -0400

The only time I ever saw someone arrested for "race" when I was on the street as a cop was when they tried to race (more commonly known as outrun or evade) the police. As far as race in the skin color context I am sure it has happened but I never witnessed it and would not have stood for it had I seen an officer acting in that unethical manner. The officers I had the honor of working with were some of the finest people I have ever known and I am proud to call them my brothers and sisters.

Response by SGT Dave Tracy made Jul 14 at 2016 12:17 PM

SGT Dave Tracy — Thu, 14 Jul 2016 12:17:21 -0400

Well here’s a topic not fraught with landmines. Let me just strap on a big o’ pair of snowshoes and jump right in!

I had a rather unusual situation once as a Minneapolis Public Housing Authority (MPHA) security guard that, in an odd way, may have been racial. It certainly was improper.

MPHA had its own security patrol (Housing Patrol) who were city employees and mustered with the police at the beginning and end of their shifts; even had police issued radios. In several of the MPHA complexes there were contract guards—such as myself—to provide direct security to those buildings. Housing Patrol and us contract security guards often worked together and had a generally good relationship for the most part. There was one day when I had to break up a fight between my partner and a guy from HP, but as entertaining as that was, it was not the norm.

One quiet night, back in 1991 or 1992, a Housing Patrol officer was hanging out at my building just BSing with me. As we were gabbing, a call comes over his radio about a car thief who ditched his joy-ride a couple blocks over from our building, and was on foot heading our way. The Housing officer and myself concealed ourselves and laid in wait for the thief in case he crossed our property.

He did.

We nabbed him, I cuffed him, and the Housing officer called the pursuing cop to let him know we had his crook. Soon enough Minneapolis’ finest arrived, and that’s where the “unpleasant” began.

To help understand some of the legal, racial, and real world dynamics playing in the background that evening, understand the following: It was the era of Rodney King, Reginald Denny and riots. Minneapolis’s crime rate, while not as bad as other big cities in the 90’s, was high enough to warrant the unfortunate nickname “Murderapolis”. The neighborhood I worked in was predominantly black. The suspect was black. The Housing officer was black. The cop was black. Mine was the only white face in the picture.

The cop was talking with the young suspect who had little to say as far as I remember. The Housing officer and I were standing close by, listening and watching the parking lot interrogation, waiting for these folks to clear our property so we could writ up a brief report and call it good. Once I got my cuffs back, we could put this minor drama to rest and move on to the next drama.

Then it happened.

BAM!

“You dented Mr. Hood,” the cop said after he had grabbed the thief by the scruff of his neck and slammed him face-first onto the hood of the squad car.

With little pause, the cop, his iron grip firmly clamped to the man’s neck, slammed him once again onto the car hood.

BAM!

This beefy policeman swung the suspect around like a rag doll. “Rag doll” may be a bit cliché, but a rag doll is precisely what the suspect resembled. He was clearly dazed, and limp enough that he wouldn’t have been unable to stand up on his own.

“Why did you dent Mr. Hood again,” he disingenuously asked. “Stop hurting Mr. Hood.”

But “he” didn’t stop pounding on Mr. Hood. The cop made introductions between Mr. Hood and the suspect three or four more times. I remember a smattering of splattered blood was visible on the white face of Mr. Hood; not a lot, but it was there.

The suspect never put up a fight, but if he had been of a mind to before—surrounded as he was by three big dudes AND handcuffed—there was no longer any fight left in him. There was barely any consciousness left in him.

I had been looking at the Housing officer throughout this event hoping for a look of guidance, some measure of psychically conveyed wisdom. Something. Anything. The look he returned was as if to say “Ain’t our business. We see nothing.” I just wanted to get my cuffs and get the hell out of there, the whole time wondering if the building’s security cameras were catching this.

Soon enough the cop put the suspect in the squad car, gave me a pair of his handcuffs in exchange for mine, and drove off. We were left with the competing theories given to me by the Housing Patrol officer who speculated it was either a case of the “contempt of cop”, meaning the police officer was angry at the guy for running or--and now it gets VERY touchy and speculative—the cop was mad because this young black man he felt made black people “look bad”.

It wasn’t my theory. I’m just relaying the thought I was given.

And if you’re wondering, the answer is: Hell no, I didn’t do a damn thing about what when down that night. I was this 18 or 19 year old, easily replaceable, $6 an hour public housing contract security guard. I don’t remember what exactly I did write in my report but it wouldn’t have included the full truth. And even if I had been completely candid, I doubt it would have made much difference beyond spotlighting myself.

So did I witness a cop beating on a guy because he was black? Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe the officer was just a hard-ass. I don’t even pretend to know the "whys", but I do know enough to know it's not a simple Black & White issue. Pun intended.

Response by Capt Renee Ullrich made Jul 16 at 2016 9:46 PM

Capt Renee Ullrich — Sat, 16 Jul 2016 21:46:51 -0400

I never arrested anyone based on race and neither did anyone else I worked with. However just as Sgt Pesz stated at least 90% did claim it was for race and not the crime they committed.

Response by PFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 20 at 2016 1:19 AM

PFC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 20 Jul 2016 01:19:23 -0400

I live on a Federal Reserve (Indian Reservation). The majority of people here are indigenous, to include myself. This means the majority of people I arrest are Natives. Because I have a light complexion and light colored eyes, I have been called a "white boy", a "blue-eyed b*tch", etc. Even though I am also aboriginal. Many people assume that they are being arrested by a "white" cop who is arresting them because they are Indians (some of whom are lighter in complexion than I am). It is easy to play the race card when you are in trouble with the law. However, when I let people off, it's never because of the color of their skin or mine. In their eyes, it's only when they are in trouble. I have never witnessed any officers here arrest someone based on race. Our officers are white and Indian, and all have a commitment to serving and protecting, which means arresting dangers to the public.

Response by Sgt Jay Jones made Jul 28 at 2016 11:44 PM

Sgt Jay Jones — Thu, 28 Jul 2016 23:44:02 -0400

I'm the son of a police officer. I grew up with police officers coming by our house all the time. I can tell you that many of the African American Police Officers have had to endure the racism of the "N"word and other despicable instances from their fellow officers. So, when you asked have I ever witness racism by the police, the answer is an very loud YES!

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 24 at 2016 9:58 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 24 Aug 2016 21:58:06 -0400

Sounds like a lot of diverse experiences. I am sure it's an extremely challenging job and after dealing with criminals for a few years, you have to stay on your "A" game. Can't imagine having a new baby, life stress, seeing a fatality and then having people push cell phones or threaten me as I arrest a serious felon.

Response by CPT Tom Monahan made Sep 23 at 2016 3:06 AM

CPT Tom Monahan — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 03:06:53 -0400

I live in a university town and know polices officers, deputies and troopers. They arrest folks based on behavior of the suspect. If the person is acting civil they may get a citation while folks who fail to comply with lawful orders will get cuffed and stuffed. Naturally this is based on the nature of the
Violation or crime.

Response by LCpl Hilton Hoskins made Oct 18 at 2016 7:42 PM

LCpl Hilton Hoskins — Tue, 18 Oct 2016 19:42:24 -0400

No, I don't personally know any officers like that. I know it does happen and I have been the victim of being racially profiled. It happened to me back in 2010. I was driving a friend home in my 2009 Dodge Avenger that I just got. Two police officers stopped us for no reason, we didn't break any laws. One came up on the driver's side and the other on the passenger's side, both with their hands on their pistols. I gave them my license, registration, insurance, Veteran's ID and even gave them the finance contract on the car. I let them run through their whole check without question. Then when they came back to the car, I asked them why we were stopped. I got the whole "your car and you two fit the description" jazz. So, I just told the officer to relay what they're looking for so if I see the people I could notify the police immediately. Needless to say they stumbled when I said this and didn't really have anything to say. My car didn't fit the description, my friend and I didn't meet the description. They saw a two Black men driving in a New Car with a paper tag and assumed that we either stole it or we was breaking the law in some way. They ended up getting shut down when I called them on their bluff.

I know a lot of good cops out there who don't racially profile people. I've met many and have hung out with them. Though I know there are cops out there who don't racially profile people, I know there are some that do. They are not going to say it or admit to it but they do. I've had few negative experiences with police and many positive ones, to that I say I am lucky. More than likely someone who's a police officer that has served in the military, won't be the type of police officer that racially profiles people because the military, especially these days are more diverse but that doesn't mean that it doesn't happen.

Response by PO2 Skip Kirkwood made Sep 17 at 2017 8:40 PM

PO2 Skip Kirkwood — Sun, 17 Sep 2017 20:40:42 -0400

Six years as a sworn law enforcement officer. Particularly when making traffic stops, I never knew the race of the person I was stopping until after the stop was made. Try it some time - drive behind a car and tell the race of the driver. Given seat belts, head rests, and high seats, you just can't tell.