What's your WORST law enforcement experience?

Being black and living in south L.A. in the 70's, 80's, and 90's was a pretty bad time for most people, no matter what age you were - And I was no exception.

My absolute worst experience with law enforcement was when I was 12 years old. I don't recall what day it was, but I do remember it was during the summer. The neighborhood I grew up in wasn't the absolute best, but we lived a few blocks far enough that I wouldn't be influenced by gangs.

So one day I was on my way to the bus stop, and had to go through the worst part of the neighborhood. Since I was so young, I made it through without any incident. Once I got to the bus stop, which was a vacant lot full of discarded trash and old furniture, I stood there still with my little book satchel all alone and waited for the bus. I was never into trends or that many fashions back then, so all I had on was a white short sleeved collared shirt, and dark Docker-like slacks - the equivalent of a Catholic school boy.

And as I waited there, I noticed a police car with sirens on racing down the street in my direction. They suddenly slowed down and pulled up on to the curb where the bus stop was. Then all of a sudden, both young white officers got out looking very agitated and angry. The vehicle was facing me about 20 feet away, and both had their doors wide open as they stood behind them. They began yelling at me to drop it, and I calmly looked around me to see who they were talking to. That's when things started to get really ugly.

Both officers began to draw their weapons and repeated to drop the bag in a very loud and forceful voice. Since I was the only person there, I guess they were talking to me, so I slowly did what they said. Then they told me to turn around, put my hands on top of my head, and interlock my fingers. As I did so, the blonde officer walked over and held his hand on top of my head as he put his weapon away. The dirty blonde officer still remained behind the car door still brandishing his weapon towards me. It was at that time that the blonde officer started searching me, and began yelling at me asking "where is it". I said "where's what?", and he said "where is the money". I had no idea what he was talking about, and I told him that. That's when he told me that there was a report that a kid that "fit my description" robbed a laundrymat down the street, wearing clothing just like me. At the time it never occurred to me that a laundrymat could be robbed, but now that I think about it, it was just their way of justifying their unjustified assault on me.

That's when the officer told me to remain in the search position and asked if he could search the bag I was carrying. I mean come on, what the hell was I suppose to say with a gun pointed at me by his partner..."No?" So he did, and slowly pulled out the book.... It was a BIBLE!!!

The look on his face was just a complete 180 degree turn to remorse and sorrow. His partner lowered his weapon and came over to us. "Blondie" then said to me "Hey kid, we're really sorry about that... we didn't know". And to add insult to injury, the asshole and his partner had the nerve to offer me a ride to church. Needless to say, I declined.

I was so shaken up that I had nightmares for months. From that day forward, I hated all cops.

I haven't told many people that story, and I recently told my father about that experience. Of course there are many more incidents, but that one was by far the worse...

So what's your worse experience with cops?

 

for me it was a scary dare officer, we were talking about drugs and he had a suspicion i was on drugs(i wasnt at that time in my life) and made that year like hell. when he asked me what type of marijuana was legal in some states i didnt know the difference between recreational and medical so i said rec, he yelled "WANNA GO SMOKE SOME POT WITH ME IN THE BATHROOM!" it was kinda scary

 

but yea your story was alot worse, what kinda of a nieghborhood did you live in that a 12 year old, in a catholic school uniform would rob a laundromat, or one where the cops would fabricate a story of a 12 year old in a catholic school uniform robbed the laundromat

 

Have u ever thought maybe someone tht fit ur description really robbed a place and they were just looking for the guys?

and u shouldn't hate all cops, they protect [not all(obviously)] our asses, they have saved my ass and I thank them

 

I honestly think they were looking for a reason to shoot me to relieve whatever stress or prejudice they had against the people in the neighborhood they were sworn to protect... I really did.

Let's put it this way, the movie "Boyz In The Hood" was filmed just a few blocks away from where we lived. As long as you didn't wear red in my neighborhood, and walked on the opposite side of the street from where gangs hung out at, you were okay. As I got older, most of the gangs moved away, went to prison, or died. In fact, it was a gang member that helped me stay out of gangs. In recent years to show my appreciation, I sent his parents a letter of appreciation for him making such a positive impact on my life. I'm sure that made them very proud of him, regardless of what he's doing in his life now.

 

I have never really had any trouble with cops. I try to keep out of trouble or make sure I get away if I do something stupid. Police don't care about smoking dope around here, if someone calls the cops on you they won't even show up.

 

when we baked out the car with like 3 bowls, and 2 1/2 oz on 420 weekend and cop came up on us and took it all and let us go, we were on probation i was shitting my pants

 

I moved from up state New York to Denver to be near my sister. My nephew, her son, said I could live with him in his house. My nephew is a crack addict and the house was a crack house, not that they sold crack, but that’s where they went to smoke it. I don’t do drugs myself so I was kind of a calming influence and my sister had asked me to see what I could do for my nephew. I lived there about two years and was getting ready to move out the next month as I had found another place.

The crack heads would all gather in the garage and would leave the rest of the house to me. One evening, mellowing out after work, I was sitting watching Nova on TV, when I heard the loud crash of the picture window breaking that I was sitting next to. I dove to the floor thinking I was in the middle of a drug war and would be shot any minute.

I had closed my eyes from the fear of the glass getting in my eyes and had covered my ears. Then through closed eyes I saw bright flashes of light and heard loud pops, flash grenades. I opened my eyes and there was a police officer in a flack jacket and helmet with an assault rifle pointed at my head from about 6” away. They handcuffed me and as they were leading me outside, I noticed that they had busted the front door in and had smashed the picture window, so I asked the officer why he hadn’t knocked ‘cause I would have let him in and he said; “We had a no knock warrant” a warrant I never saw and was later told I never would see.

Then while we were outside on the porch, handcuffed, they “searched” (basically vandalized) the house. They also took the house cat I was keeping for a friend and turned it loose in the back yard never to be seen again. They found nothing and no one was arrested. They had broken all but two windows in the house and trashed the inside by “searching”.

When they left, they said: “If you don’t stop, it’ll be worse next time we come back” and I thought, man, I’m going to have to stop watching Nova, maybe PBS altogether!

 

LOL

 

dude maby someone rlly did rob the laundrymat... someone robbed a laundry mat in my city a couple of week ago... and if they were just wanting to "relieve whatever stress or prejudice" they probably wouldnt have said sorry, or offered you a ride...

 

Come on now, do you really think that cops were justified in pointing their guns at a 12 year old kid? Think about that for a second.... How would you like to suddenly be scared shitless by staring down the barrel of two guns powerful enough to blow chunks off your skull from people you grew up to respect and admire, just for standing there all alone minding your own business?

And mind you, there were people watching from across the street at the same time too - and me getting in their car could have been a ploy to save face if they're seen again in that neighborhood. But even so, I'm sure it was his way of saying he's sorry - which somehow wasn't good enough.

Back then, you wouldn't find that kind of shit happening in Jason or Britney's neighborhood...

 

are you really that ignorant?

 

So do you actually think those cops should have drawn their weapons at every black PRETEEN kid in that area, just because they were wearing a white shirt, dark pants, and carrying a Bible? ...What the hell did you think I was going to do, Bible thump them on their conduct?

There's not a cop on this planet that should be pointing his gun at a preteen, unless that kid is pointing a gun, and only a gun at them.

 

Heres a perfectly plausable scenario. A Kid that looks like you robbed a laundryomat with a gun.

According to you they said sorry and offered a ride. A lot of cops are racist, a lot of cops are mean, but most are just normal people.

 

He was treated as if he were already guilty. There's the problem. As has been said, police aren't supposed to draw their weapons unless they see a weapon.

Their actions are indefensible.

 

Nice try, but honestly, you’re not living in the real world.

Please try to picture it.

A 12 year old dressed in a white short sleeved collared shirt, and dark Docker-like slacks standing at a bus stop with a little book satchel in his hand.

Please tell me, what are the chances that this is the description of someone who robbed a Laundromat?

Now with no visible weapon both officers draw their weapons and point them at this 12 year old.

Is this what you consider good police work?
What are the chances that if this happened to you at 12 years old that you would feel that this was good police work?

 

Here's another improbable scenario.... HOW THE HELL DO YOU ROB A FUCKIN' LAUNDRYMAT AT GUNPOINT WHEN 99% OF THEM ARE AUTOMATED?

Do you think I held a gun up to the machine and told it to give me all of it's money?

 

Let em know
We dont need no motherfuckin help!
i dont like rap but i just heard that song

 

or like the game said "911 is a motherfuckin joke"

 

Just throwing this out there, but that song is about ambulance response time in the Ghetto.