These reflections on police-community relations come from a writer with a distinctive perspective. He's a police officer at the 8th Precinct in Northwest Detroit who posted these comments Saturday evening at a Facebook group. They're published with his permission..
By Baron Coleman
My son, who shares my name, is now 28. During the past 10 years, he has been stopped by police at least 30 times.
In Detroit, he was stopped while driving, while sitting in his car, while coming out of a store, while parked on the street with his lady friend, while standing on the sidewalk and most recently while walking home from work.
He has also been stopped by Redford, Southfield, Dearborn, Ferndale, Southfield, Lathrup Village, Novi, Michigan State Police and Westland.
I have to ask him: "Why do you think you get stopped by every police agency?"
His words to me were simple: "Dad, it's because I am black."
Officer Baron Coleman: "America has a long way to travel to get to fair play when it comes to police and black people."
Now I know racial profiling and police brutality do exist. My son fits the bill of what police profile -- young, black, wearing a hoodie, smoking (so it must be weed).
He drives a old-school car. He has been ticketed, towed, arrested and even stranded by police.
He has been disrespected, laughed at and harassed by multiple agencies.
He was stopped in Detroit numerous times and treated very badly while with his date. He was stopped while walking in Detroit because he was wearing black, his security uniform.
He was actually stopped by my co-workers, who still treated him harshly after he explained who his dad is.
My son refuses to tell cops who I am because he says they don't care. They change when they see me later, but on the streets some are abusive and overdo the treatment of black men.
Detroit is no different than the other cities, It's all about the officer.
Yes, black people have to educate their kids on how to conduct themselves when encountering police.
America has a long way to travel to get to fair play when it comes to police and black people. Like the protesters state daily: "Black lives matter."
It's my belief that this treatment is a norm because we have never demanded better for ourselves. When we come together, others will join us. That's what we're seeing in the nation -- people united.
Stay encouraged and demand better.
