Last month I was talking to an ex-NYPD cop about the Amadou Diallo case. I offhandedly said that the officers involved in that fatal shooting were high on drugs and that the only good thing they did that fateful evening was not reload and shoot the downed African again.
"You don't know what the fuck you're talking about. In any shooting the cops are bloodtested and that would have been published in every paper in the world if it was the case."
"I'm not so sure about that." My comment was based on a hunch rather than fact.
"You show me the proof." He was irate enough not to speak with me for the rest of the day.
I have my proof.
I used to lock myself out of my East Village apartment on numerous occasions. I would climb onto the roof and down the fire escape, then force open a window. It was a dangerous operation.
One slip and I could have fallen 50 feet to the hard concrete, but not once did any of my neighbors phoned 911.
Two squad cars responded to the call and the officers showed up to investigate 'a white guy doing something crazy'.
They knocked on my door and shouted, "Open it."
I obeyed their command and responded to their queries with yes officer and no officer. Obviously they hadn't taught that at Harvard.
My answers satisfied their questions, but I'm white.
A person of color might not have the same right as me and no white person will know how few rights are too few, until they are in prison, because there they are the minority.
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