Viral Video: US Cop Stops Black Man For Walking With His Hands in His Pocket
A video of a U.S. cop stopping a black man for walking with his hands in his pocket is going viral. Michigan resident Brandon Mckean posted on Facebook a clip that shows him being briefly detained by a white police officer because he was apparently making people nervous by walking with his hands hidden from view in a freezing weather.
“Just got stopped Walking BECAUSE MY HANDS WERE IN MY POCKETS...... POLICE STATE,” Mckean posted the over-a-minute clip on Facebook. The video sees his interaction with an officer, who told him someone complained about him. Mckean took out his phone to record the incident.
“You were walking by ... and making people nervous. They said you had your hands in your pocket,” the officer is heard saying in the video, also starting to ready his phone camera to record their conversation.
“Wow!” an incredulous Mckean says. “I’m walking by with my hands in my pocket [is] making people nervous to call the police when it’s snowing outside?!”
By that time the officer has also begun recording the conversation. “Are you okay?” he asks Mckean. And after the civilian answers positively, the officer then asks what he was up to, clearly still suspicious of the other man.
“Walking with my hands in my pocket,” the exasperated Mckean answers. The unnamed officer asks if he was inconveniencing him, to which Mckean answers, “Hell yes,” adding that with the whole police situation around the country, it’s outrageous for the officer to let someone complain about a black man walking with his hands in his pocket.
The officer tries to defend his action, saying, “We do have a lot of robberies, so I’m just checking on you.” He does not elaborate what’s the connection of robberies and a black man doing mundane things like walking.
Mckean notes that at least they were both being respectful to each other, adding that he was recording the situation for both of their safety. The officer appears to pretend everything was right by drawing his hand for a high-five, even though Mckean has expressed his frustration about the situation.
Reactions on social media have been mostly of outrage at the officer. Commenters on both Mckean’s Facebook page and on YouTube thought the officer was out of line for stopping a man for no apparent reason other than someone complained because of the colour of his skin. They also panned the officer for taking out his camera phone and asking for a high-five. His actions allegedly show how he was mocking Mckean’s justified anger over the situation.
“Never in a million years would anyone, not even a black person, call the cops on a white guy walking down the street with his hands in his pocket,” a YouTube commenter wrote, adding, “And oh my good Jesus, the high five was just embarrassing.”
“Racial profiling at its best. If not then why not question everyone else on this street who was cold, wearing a coat, and/or had their hands in their pockets?” another user added.
The incident happened on Thanksgiving in the U.S., at the wake of the Ferguson controversy. The shooting of an unarmed 18-year-old black man Michael Brown by Ferguson, Missouri police officer Darren Wilson in August became nationwide news. A few days before Mckean’s video was taken, the grand jury decided not to indict Wilson for his actions, fuelling both peaceful and violent protests across the country.
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