Poll on police abuse of power

[marym625]

I posted a question a couple days ago asking if anyone has been a victim of abuse by the police. It was suggested that "who hasn't been" would be easier. Probably would have had fewer responses.

I am curious to see numbers on what type of abuse, etc. Since it isn't possible to create sub-responses in polls, I will do my best to create one that is as specified as possible. I am unable to include if the initial contact was even legal and many other important factors, I would still like to see the high level answers.

Abuse doesn't mean physical abuse only. It is any wrong doing by the police. Even for being pulled over for driving while black or driving while pretty. If there was no legal reason to be pulled over, that is an abuse of power

The first 5 are specifically for people of color. 6 through 10 for white people

Sexual abuse specifically: If you were a victim of abuse because of some cop getting off on his power over you for sexual reasons, whether it went as far as physical abuse (seems strip searches are pretty common) or if there was no physical abuse, please respond to the sexual abuse question and not the physical abuse question.

I wish I could create sub responses. I also wish I could include sexual orientation. But those are not possible with only 10 answers allowed.

Please feel free to elaborate in replies. Obviously, the poll responses cannot possibly cover reasons, the end results, the degree of the abuse or if it went further than the police contact, like an arrest, conviction, a lawsuit, etc

Thank you for your participation

I also would appreciate a rec just for exposure. I am just trying to make sure this is seen by as many possible. I don't know what other way to make that happen except for recs. Thanks for considering

Mary

29 votes, 0 passes | Time left: Unlimited
	Never been victim of any abuse POC
	4 (14%)
	Power abuse but no physical altercation POC
	2 (7%)
	Sexual abuse POC
	0 (0%)
	Physical abuse POC
	0 (0%)
	No physical abuse but gun drawn POC
	0 (0%)
	Never been victim of any abuse WP
	3 (10%)
	Power abuse but no physical altercation WP
	15 (52%)
	Sexual abuse WP
	1 (3%)
	Physical abuse WP
	3 (10%)
	No physical abuse but gun drawn WP
	1 (3%)
	0 DU members did not wish to select any of the options provided.
Show usernames Disclaimer: This is an Internet poll

[NYC_SKP]

1. I'd say being dared to take a swing at a CHP, with two CHPs present, is abusive.

They really wanted to fight my friend, Tom, and me.

Out on a country road, actually a farm driveway, nobody would have seen it happen.

[marym625]

2. Yep. Counts in my book.

Thank you for participating

[rock]

3. I've been lucky and only had a half-dozen encounters

All were bullies. At least half were dumb as a post and it was hard not to laugh at them (and their incompetencies).

[marym625]

9. That's lucky?

That's so sad that it's a true statement

Yeah, laughing at an idiot with a gun probably a bad idea.

Thank you

[JustAnotherGen]

4. It's a tough question for me

What ifyou went out on a date with a county sheriff patrol man - are a person of color - he was Hispanic - and he pulled you over a few times because you decided you just weren't into him?

[marym625]

12. sexual abuse POC

It's illegal and abuse of power.

And I am sorry you had to go through that

[JustAnotherGen]

23. I complained

To one of my dad's cousins who was high up in the NY State Police.


My family is thick as thieves. The problem went away - but it was police abuse on police abuse.

I think this guy was more of a stalker type. That would make three in my lifetime and he was the least threatening/creepy.

[marym625]

28. That's another thing most of us females have in common

that guys probably have no idea is a commonplace thing, stalkers. And they're scary no matter what the degree of stalking is.

Thanks for expanding on your first post. I appreciate it

[JustAnotherGen]

43. One was a woman!

Yeah - there's that. That was back in college. My best girlfriend from high school had this super panicked reaction. Three years later she came out of the closet (to me first:fistbump and explained that "it could have been me". She was exploring who she was at that time and couldn't really express it.

That's a little aside but she's discussed with me how gay men and women often don't have any kind of safe place when they experience domestic violence, stalking etc etc

Some thing we should think about.

[marym625]

45. I have had a female stalker

One night she even showed up at a bar I was in dressed exactly like I was. Even the bartender was freaked out at that.

That's why I said I wish I include another categories for LGBTQ

You mean a the friend stalked you? I'm little confused there.

[JustAnotherGen]

66. No my best friend was still in the closet

But I'm telling her about ths stuff and she came to visit when F was kind of going bananas.

She was outof the closet in 1993 - but when she did come out a few years later -

She explained why she over reacted.

She had not contemplated sex based violence from a woman as a possibility. It scared her.

[marym625]

68. women can be nuts!

Just as nuts as men.

Thanks for explaining. I was confused

[sendero]

5. My very first ..

.... interaction with a cop was with an asshole, but I cannot quite get to abusive.

Over the years I've had my share of interactions with the police. I have dealt with my share of assholes, but never felt like the line was crossed. I've actually been given a break by the cops a couple of times, once when I really didn't deserve it.

My experiences were mostly in Dallas, Ft Worth and their suburbs. And one thing I can say with certainty, the suburban cops are 5 times as likely to be an asshole as the larger city cops.

[marym625]

13. Yeah, being an asshole

Doesn't necessarily mean power was abused. But I am curious as to the circumstances. I think some people excuse things just because they are used to it or expect it. Not saying that is the case with you, but I am curious.

[sendero]

14. without going into too many details..

.. (and there are lots lets just say I was pulled over (with a friend) and had clearly had more to drink than I should be driving with. There were various mitigating factors involved and finally the cop said "let your friend drive". Fact is, he was as drunk as I was

We carefully drove home and that was that. This was in the 70s, that shit would definitely not happen now.

[marym625]

15. Oh yeah

Never happen now. Thanks for giving more details. Didn't mean to pry. I should have said, if you are comfortable sharing. Apologies.

Doesn't excuse being an asshole but doesn't sound like abuse of power

Thank you

[sendero]

21. I was offering it...

.... not as an abuse but as an accommodation He gave me a big break, for sure.

[marym625]

27. Thank you

those are important too. Although, until a cop stands up against abuses by fellow officers, publicly and in court, I think they're just as guilty

[KingCharlemagne]

6. Abuse of power, no physical altercation WP - nt

[Jokerman]

7. Gun drawn on me once but I don't count it as abuse.

Due to very strange and unusual circumstances, the officer had reason to treat me as a possible threat. Cooler heads prevailed and we both apologized for the misunderstanding.

As a college student I was bullied and threatened by an officer who flew into a rage when I asserted my rights. Other officers intervened and I went on my merry way.

[marym625]

10. I can't imagine

What would cause a PO to pull a gun yet apologize if there was reason. But I believe you. Thanks for including the reply.

I really think some of the rage is cops on steroids.

[Jokerman]

29. Well, I was armed at the time.

A friend was a bit of a gun "enthusiast" and we were target shooting on private land when a neighbor reported erroneously that we were trespassing. The officer approached us and tried to get our attention but we couldn't hear him so he drew his weapon and moved into my peripheral vision. I guess I should add that I was firing a high-powered rifle and my friend had a semi-automatic so we didn't appear to be hunters and we could have easily been dangerous.

As soon as I saw him with his gun pointed at us I raised my right hand in the air and slowly placed the gun on the ground with my left. I got my friends attention and he did the same. The officer holstered his weapon and once the trespassing issue was cleared up he let us get back to what we were doing.

A different officer may have chosen to shoot first and I'm eternally grateful that this officer, while moving to protect himself, showed restraint.

[marym625]

35. WOW

That could have EASILY turned bad. So glad cool heads prevailed.

Thanks for sharing that

[otohara]

8. Scumbags, Dirtbags, Garbage

That's what two cops at Occupy called the protesters until I told them I was one, then it was "oh not you mam, them!

[marym625]

11. Damn

Just unreal.
Thank you

[Ykcutnek]

16. Been the victim of a conspiracy by the local school board and state's attorney office.

Who conspired to violate my 4th amendment rights, using the state police as their muscle.

[marym625]

18. wow! that's a first I have seen here

Would it be too much to ask for a little more detail? Don't want you to share anything you're not comfortable with

[ieoeja]

17. Stopped for Driving While Poor in a Wealthy neighborhood once. And White in a Black one once. n/t

[marym625]

19. yep those happen

The latter is usually "if a white person is in a predominantly black neighborhood, they must be looking for drugs." All kinds of things wrong with that

[Iggo]

20. Physical abuse. Lots of it, many times, over many years.

Yay, Cops! They're the best!

[marym625]

30. I'm so sorry. Truly

[ileus]

22. every road check is abuse of "power"

So yeah....4 or 5 times a year I become their victim.

[marym625]

31. It sure is

And I'm sorry that happens to you, and so often.

[ileus]

44. Small county, many LEOs three main routes...

I was checked twice last Halloween.

We get checked almost every Holiday...

[marym625]

47. YIKES! I've never come across one. n/t

[Live and Learn]

62. Agreed. I can't stand those and we have them all the time too. nt

[me b zola]

24. One important thing to keep in mind with this poll is social status

DU is largely upper-middle class, the kind of people not usually the type of person to be abused by the police. My experience is that the police know who they can get away with treating like trash: POC, the disabled, the homeless, and poor/working class people. We are the ones that the cops beat and abuse for sport.

[marym625]

32. Yes, true statement

But from personal experience I know that is not always true. And, like Jon Stewart recently noted on his show; his team went into an office building with scraggly looking white guy and a black guy in a suit. The black guy was stopped.

My brother was beaten to the point of unconsciousness, while in cuffs and our father was the President of the next town over and the President of the Mayors and Managers Association of Chicago Suburbs. I was stripped searched by another town nearby. So status doesn't always matter.

[Stardust]

72. DU is largely upper middle class? I did not know that--I guess I should've read the TOS more

carefully! Is that claim based on a poll, or conjecture?

[me b zola]

83. There have been several polls over the years reflecting the percentages of ecconomic representation

My comment to the OP was to put into context the large number of wp in this poll that have never been abused by the police. Upper middle class wp have in general much different experiences with the police than do working class wp. Unfortunately as we read here recently, economic status for POC does not protect them from unfriendly experiences with the police.

[joeglow3]

92. The poll seems to disagree with you

Now, I do agree with you. However, the trend seems to be similar for white and people of color

[marym625]

119. I'm a little surprised at the numbers myself

There are so many factors that would go into the real world statistics but no way to do it here without making multiple polls. But it might still give us some indication of what happens with whatever economic group DU people generally fall into

[Chemisse]

85. I doubt we are mostly upper middle class.

I think it would be more accurate to say we are mostly well-educated.

I'd love to see a poll on this.

[bigwillq]

25. WP, been cuffed, while they also cuffed my friend (POC)

His ex-wife reported that he pulled a gun on her.

We arrived back at his place after going out on the town, and when we pulled into his complex, the police were there. Two patrol cars. They cuffed both of us, put us into separate cars, and started asking questions.

They discovered that her story was false and let us go.

[marym625]

33. Damn. I just don't understand

Why do they seem to ALWAYS have to go further than is necessary?

[hifiguy]

26. I am white and working/middle class so only a couple of times.

My friends and I, who were peacefully playing frisbee in a public park - no beer, no weed - were thrown out of the park back in the 1970s. Our offense? Long hair.

Couple of incidents of driving ratty old car - to work yet - in an upscale suburb. Second time my car was impounded due to a traffic ticket that had already been paid. Cops were fairly abusive both times, and I was in my late 40s at the time. Prosecutor later threw everything out and said I never should even have been stopped in the first place while muttering something about "stupid cops."

[marym625]

34. I love prosecutors like that!

Though I think they're few and far between.

Damn! Thrown out of a park for long hair?? Jesus Christ on a cheese sandwich! That's so ridiculous! I'm glad though it wasn't worse.

Thank you

[Mr Dixon]

36. Just ASKING

Can we redress the poll to include your race?

[marym625]

37. I can

I didn't vote. May I ask why it matters? Just curious

I just voted so my race is shown, white. Do you want me to write it in the OP though? I will if you want

[bigwillq]

38. Oh

I thought WP=white person and POC=Person of Color. Am I off-base with my assumptions?

[marym625]

39. Your assumption is correct POC = Person of Color and WP = White Person

Now I'm confused. Or did you assume I was a POC?

[bigwillq]

40. No. I didn't make any assumptions about your race.

I just wanted to make sure that I was answering the poll question correctly. Thanks.

[marym625]

41. Thanks, I was confused n/t

[marym625]

42. PS

I was thinking that's what you meant because the question above that was asking me to add my race. So when I voted, I saw your question. There was no ill intent with my question. I apologize if it seemed that way

[ancianita]

46. Middle class white woman here -- received physical but no sexual abuse. nt

[marym625]

49. I'm sorry.

But I'm glad they didn't throw sexual abuse into it

[ancianita]

51. Turned out okay because I'm the one that won that strip search case.The poll is a great idea, thanks

[marym625]

53. I KNEW I knew your name

I was actually just looking to see what you had on that post!

Congrats on that and brava for fighting back.

We should talk about what Chicago is doing when the Wilson decision comes down. I know there are plans in the works.

[marym625]

56. I am considering strip seaches sexual abuses

I see you didn't vote for that. You don't see that as a sexual assault? I sure did. Felt like it when it happened to me.

[ancianita]

60. I was torn. I can see both sides of the claim but would rather give benefit of the doubt, since it

was ostensibly used to 'search' for contraband, along with the fact that no other genitals showed up on the scene.

[marym625]

61. oh.

not what happened to me. And I would put good money on it you were on camera.

[ancianita]

63. Nah, there weren't any in the late seventies.

[marym625]

65. That's when it happened to me

doubt there was tape but I KNOW there was closed circuit. We could see the monitors from the bigger room we were all in

[ancianita]

67. Yeah, I saw nothing at the 11th and State Women's Lockup.

[marym625]

69. OH FUN PLACE!! yikes. Thanks n/t

[uppityperson]

48. Pulled over for bogus reasons, also had one harass me after I said I didn't recognize a street name

"you live here, you HAVE to know the street names" then proceeded to give me shit for another good 10 min. All I felt I could do was stand there, apologize repeatedly, not ask if I could go, if I was being detained, or anything because he was truly scary. After he finally said I could go, I shakily walked into the art studio I was parked next to to 5 people inside asking "WHAT was that all about". I didn't know the name of a street. They said they were watching for me to get tased.

Middle aged white woman, all those categories which typically get a pass, made me wonder wtf other crap people not in those categories have to deal with regularly. It really pisses me off that power goes to their heads that way.

[marym625]

50. That's exactly why I posted this

You want to hope you're the only one but you know damn well if it happened to you, it happens to others. And, as you said, white, woman, middle aged, you are usually the one that gets a pass.

I'm glad it ended like it did. Sounds like it could have easily been worse

[uppityperson]

52. Yes, indeed, and very much so. Another instance, one summer evening around 10 pm,

driving a young adult friend home, I saw ahead (2 lane road) 2 police cars parked across the street from each other, officers leaning out their windows talking to each other. I told my friend we were going to get stopped and as she asked why, we drove between them and on came the lights. He said my license plate light was out, where are you going, registration, etc etc etc. After we were let go, the 19 yr old asked how I knew we'd be stopped. To me it was obvious. Because.

And about that license plate light? It was on when I checked. And when my mechanic checked. And for the next several years I had that car. If I'd've gotten out to check it then and found it on, well, who's to say it wasn't out when I was driving, right?

And how did I know? Because there were 2 police cars parked across from each other, officers leaning out the windows talking to each other. Because they could.

That was minor but it made me realize that I was not comfortable taking that short cut any more, was not comfortable being stopped by a cop on a dark road after dark. Glad there were 2 of us.

I have known, personally, a lot of good police officers over the years, but in the last 20 years have learned to not trust cops as there are too many who are not good. Maybe not a majority, but still too many with shoot first, ask questions later mentality, too many who have been raised on that mentality and carry it through.

[marym625]

54. I would rec this if I could

Thank you for sharing that. Well told.

Sad state we are in, this police state

[Live and Learn]

64. +1 nt

[heaven05]

84. stupidty+gun=

dangerous. You are lucky you weren't 'charged'-tazed.

[uppityperson]

93. I fully expected to be. I was getting bored doing variations of "I am sorry, sir" but no way was

I going to turn my back on him exactly for that reason.

[Scootaloo]

55. Well, there was the one time...

My mother had gotten raging drunk. This was shortly after her and my dad had a nasty divorce, and I have the misfortune of looking a lot like a (shorter) version of my dad. well, she's drunk, she's smashing shit in our house and has attacked me a few times, I call the cops.

One officer shows up, sees that I'm bleeding from where she clawed me and hit me in the mouth... and tells me that I should be ashamed of calling the police on my mother, and asks her if she wants me taken in. offers to beat my ass for her, even.

Ahhh, Mobile County Police department, what a bunch of charmers.

[marym625]

58. Holy crap!

Nothing like blaming and beating the victim!

I'm so sorry.

[lob1]

57. Back when I was a hippie, I used to get pulled over for stealing my

own car a lot. I had long hair and a good paying job and cops figured hippies couldn't afford a nice car, so I had to have stolen it.

[marym625]

59. I remember that kind of thing happening

My grandfather, who I loved and respected, had that one blind spot. ALWAYS called guys with long hair "girls." Since his two oldest grandsons were hippies, it sure put a damper on family parties.

[Glassunion]

70. Which time?

[marym625]

71. Oh my

Which ever one was a bigger infringement on your rights.

Sorry there are multiple ones to choose from

[Bonx]

73. DWSB, Broward County Fla

Driving While at Spring Break, 1986. Not sure how many people know this, but Broward County's finest regularly had a grand old time every year cracking skulls and talking shit and generally being bullying assholes with the out of state college students that crossed their paths.

[marym625]

74. I certainly heard about it

I lived there in 1983. But I was friends with some of the multi millionaires at the time so I was never bothered.

I assume you were one of the kids with a cracked skull? I am sorry whatever happened, happened. I hope no permanent damage

[sakabatou]

75. I've only gotten a ticket

[marym625]

76. Should you have though? n/t

[sakabatou]

77. Possibly, as I was given the wrong ticket for the train

[marym625]

80. uhm, what? n/t

[sakabatou]

88. I was a lot younger

My mom bought what she thought was a two-way ticket, but it wasn't.

[marym625]

91. Do you want to explain

How that has anything to do with police abusing power?

[sakabatou]

100. As far as I know, it wasn't

[Marrah_G]

78. Fort Lauderdale FL

In the 80's. I was a runaway on the streets there and two held me while the police beat the shit out of my boyfriend while I watched. Then they charged him with assaulting a cop. They charged me with loitering... we were just walking down the street.

[marym625]

81. Damn!

Don't suppose they did anything to try to get you off the street?

How horrible to have to watch someone you care about being so violently hurt.

[Marrah_G]

99. No- I spent the weekend in jail

I lied about my name and age so they wouldn't send me home. To this day I can't stand bologna....lol.

I don't harbor resentment towards all cops though. I know there are good and bad, both individually and departments. I try to be aware and objective.

[heaven05]

79. lots of power abuse

experienced in my life time. From grade school on. Have been stopped at various times by state sanctioned gestapo. 99% had their hands on their weapons and partner OUTSIDE of their vehicle while one walked up to my vehicle. Does that count. I imagine that this is proper police procedure when walking up to a stopped vehicle with a black person(s) inside, but when I used to watch reality police shows, when stopped car was with white person(s), usually they just walk up to car, wary, but no hand on weapon. I always have both hands on door so police officer can see them. Proper DWB and stopped by police procedure.

[marym625]

82. of course it counts

I am sorry. No one should have to live like that

[FormerOstrich]

86. I voted Sexual Abuse

because I could only vote once.

In my case it started as sexual harassment. However, once his buddies joined in, including the Chief, I think it was abuse of power.

Interesting poll!

[marym625]

87. Thank you for responding

I am anxious to crunch the numbers but I want to get more responses first.

Your experience was horrible. I'm sorry you went through it

[FormerOstrich]

95. Marym625....

I meant to tell you on the previous thread...I am sorry for your loss (of your father). My dad is still going strong (in his 80s).

You are so kind.....I really appreciate you!

[marym625]

97. awe! Thank you!

That was very sweet of you.

I am glad you still have your dad. Losing a parent is a tough loss.

I appreciate you too and all you've shared. Thank you

[MrScorpio]

89. As a black kid, riding a bike he bought with his own money, in a predominantly white neighborhood

Going home from the mall and stopped at a stop sign while waiting for traffic to pass... To a couple of suburban white cops, that must mean that I'm suspected of stealing that bike.

So, pull up behind that black kid, order him off his own bike and threaten to beat the shit out of him as he objected to his own bike being wrested from his own hands.

After checking the serial number and finding out that the bike was never reported stolen in the first place (after all, I bought the damn thing and I was riding it at the time), that doesn't mean that the two white officers are not a couple of suburban racist pricks.

At the time, I never had any issues with city cops in Detroit, but merely being black on the other side of Eight Mile Road at that time was always a tricky endeavor.

[marym625]

90. I really hate seeing so much hate against kids

I agree that suburban cops seem to be worse and that's everywhere. Just because kids are easier to harass, they do it.

Weak bastards.

Sorry you went through that

[Aerows]

94. I had to call the cops

on a DIFFERENT set of cops that were out of their jurisdiction and harassing me. I was in a minor accident on the bridge. I was always told "wait for the police". A cop came by and ordered both myself and the other lady to get off the bridge. Abuse of Power - White Person

It was in a horrible neighborhood. I was scared of remaining there, so I gave the other lady my insurance information, my name, phone, etc. and left.

I went back on the bridge and went to the shop. Before I could even GET to the shop, the police from that district left a message threatening to arrest me for hit and run. The other lady had gone to the police station in that area and reported me as a hit and run! Now how can I be doing a "hit and run" when the police ordered me off the bridge, and I gave the lady all my contact information?

Anyway, I went into the shop my parents own and called them back explaining myself. Not thirty minutes later, two Orleans Parish police officers show up. At this time, not only was I in Jefferson Parish, but I was also in the City of Gretna, not New Orleans. They march into the shop (I was SO hard to find, obviously a hit and run LOL) and asked for my driver's license, etc. I told them it was in my car. The practically FROG-MARCHED me to the car to get it.

At that point, my mother had enough. She called the City of Gretna Police to keep them from doing anything further to me. They weren't even in their own jurisdiction and being totally abusive assholes. The City of Gretna police ran them off because they were being such jerks and throwing their weight around where they weren't even supposed to be.

If I had gone home instead of to the shop, I don't even want to imagine what would have happened to me. As it was, at least I was in view of several witnesses.

[marym625]

96. Just keep being amazed at the audacity

Glad your mom did that. Certainly one thing cops are is territorial.

Thank you for sharing this

[Aerows]

98. I'm a petite blonde woman

The two cops that "escorted me" to my car were HUGE guys. What did they think I was going to do, run away when I was the one that called them and told them who and where I was? It was unbelievable. Like I said, I don't even want to imagine what might have happened had I gone home and they confronted me with no witnesses around.

[neeksgeek]

101. Several minor incidents

EDIT: I'm white and male.

These are all low-level incidents, but they still gave me a healthy disrespect for the police. Are they abuse of power? I think the first one definitely is, and I think the others are examples of profiling.

My first "encounter" with a police officer was when I was only 13. I now think this was way over the line - a police officer trying to use his position to achieve a preferred outcome for family members. I was in the 8th grade, and I was in a traffic accident while riding my bike. I got hit by a car that was backing out of a driveway. I did see them coming and I made an effort to turn out of the way, but I ended up going right over the trunk of the car as my bike left a long scratch in the driver's side doors. The couple who hit me had their son, a city police officer, come out to our house in his cruiser to lecture me and file the police report. I mean, it could have been any cop but it was their son... I got to sit in the back of the patrol car while my Dad sat up front and listened to the list traffic violations I had allegedly committed, and that we'd probably be better off just settling out of court. Dad didn't take this offer and they sued HIM for the damage to their car. They also claimed in civil court that I had maliciously driven my bike into their car (this is especially funny in light of the fact that we didn't sue them for anything). As it turned out, the Magistrate sided with me due to the simple fact that under North Carolina law, a bicycle is a vehicle and I had the right-of-way.

Once, back when I was a long-haired teenager trying hard to look like a member of Metallica, I was waiting out side the local mall for my Mom to pick me up after I got done shopping (yes, spending money!). A county sheriff and some other cop came over, asked me what I'd bought, then searched my shopping bags and my jacket. I guess they thought I had been shoplifting; my jacket was rather large. But I've never stolen anything, ever. Other people waiting by the door were not searched. When they discovered that I actually had paid for the items in the bags, I was ordered to go wait away from the main entrance because "people were complaining" about me (not sure for what, I really was just sitting there on the sidewalk with a couple shopping bags - I was rather shy and certainly wasn't speaking to anybody). This last part was extra fun, because then I got the "I told you to wait by the door" lecture from Mom and I had to explain that the cops made me move.

A couple months later I got kicked out of the same mall for, you guessed it, waiting for a ride. My ride (not my parents) was running late and the mall had closed; I was hanging out just inside the main entrance, to stay out of the cold rain that was falling. I was told that I could not wait anywhere on mall property and had to leave immediately. Now, I understand it's private property, but this place was ten miles from home and like I said, it was not the best night for a long walk. When I politely explained this to them, and said that I really needed to make a phone call to my parents, I was just told that it was time for me to leave. None of the three cops standing there with their arms crossed offered to help me get in touch with my parents, to say nothing of giving me any other way to get home. This was before ubiquitous cell phones, and of course as a teenager, I wasn't dressed for the weather. So, I hiked about a mile in the 40-degree rain to a nearby gas station to use their phone. This was in fact the last time I spent a dime at that mall, and probably the start of my (now very long) list of boycotted businesses.

More recently (since 9/11 mainly), several times I've been stopped on the sidewalk by cops or security guards and asked to explain why I have a professional-looking camera and what I'm photographing. I'm a former professional photographer and now a photography professor and I carry a camera as a part of my own personal pursuit of photography. I was once even stopped by a campus police officer (not just a security guard), at the college where I teach, who insisted that I needed permission to photograph on the campus. They usually ask to see my pictures, and to search my bag. I refuse without giving any explanation. I've never had such a situation escalate.

My common thread here is that I've been singled out a few times for doing perfectly legal and normal things like shopping, waiting for a ride, or taking pictures, things that other people do without any hassle. I'm amazed I haven't had more problems, honestly.

[marym625]

102. That's a great deal of crap!

The absolute audacity of a civil suit against you is mind boggling. I guess you were going to pay for not settling.

They're all abuses. Just because you didn't give in doesn't mean that they had a right to break the law.

Thank you for sharing.

Just curious, I think you must be a little younger but we're you familiar with the photojournalist Martin Lueders?

[antiquie]

103. POC v. WP

Is WP for pure White only?

[marym625]

104. no.

And I mean absolutely no disrespect. I am trying to see what we encounter based on race.

I'm not going to pretend that racism doesn't exist. As does bigotry. Profiling is real

[antiquie]

105. Before 9/11

I was never discriminated against. I look a bit like my Lebanese ancestors (I am made up of many ethnicities). Since 9/11, I have been refused service in two restaurants in this city where I bought my house forty years ago and am followed in stores as if I weren't a long-time customer. I am just a little old non-threatening woman hearing the words, "No, she's one of THEM." I sat in Polly's Pies for 20 minutes at the counter but only the people on either side were given coffee...

[marym625]

106. I am so sorry

I absolutely hate and am disgusted at what we have become.

I was never told, until the recent, unbelievable push for discrimination against the LGBT community, that I shouldn't be allowed near children.

I cannot possibly related to what you and others are faced with just due to looks. I wish I could change it.

Thank you for sharing

[antiquie]

107. Back when I was a hippie chick

I witnessed a number of my long-haired white male friends harrassed by cops. The weird part back then was that many of those long-hairs had already done two tours in Nam.

And back then, we could "love the one you're with" without declaring I'm a L or a B. Seems like our society has gone backwards in acceptance of the other.

[marym625]

109. sure has

And it was a deliberate, disgusting move and push done by the powers that be.

Yes, free love was an awesome time. And the government made sure that it ended with their ignoring AIDS and then demonizing LGBT for it.

[antiquie]

112. I do consider myself lucky

I was a young woman post-pill and pre-AIDS.

[marym625]

115. Me too. n/t

[GummyBearz]

108. edit deleting, I figured it out

self deleted

[marym625]

110. Did I miss something?

Did you request help? I'm sorry if I missed it

[GummyBearz]

114. np

I just wasnt familiar with a couple of the abbreviations. I figured it out a minute after posting

[marym625]

116. Thank you. n/t

[La Lioness Priyanka]

111. although i am POC, i am not black, and in this case it matters.

so i am unwilling to vote on this because the issue here is definitely about police and societal violence towards blacks, specifically.

[marym625]

113. It's more about what anyone who isn't a white person

is subjected to. Though I know there are even different degrees of profiling based on how light or dark a person's skin is, I can't possibly cover that in a DU poll.

However, I completely respect how ever you want to respond or not. I thank you for your comment

[tapermaker]

117. three times i have been drawn on

The first time was when I moved to Millington Tenn. from key west FL. I was in the navy ,and the first few days I was in tenn. were spent getting to know new people and settling in, getting ready to attend my A school.As I was walking around base I was suddenly surrounded by plain clothes NIS officers .These 4 guys had their guns drawn and escorted me to a office in a nearby building .I was stripped searched and informed that I was being detained because someone said I stole their money( over 500.00).I was then questioned for 6 hrs without a meal or water in a very menacing way.I was slapped along side of my head everytime they didn't get the answer they were looking for.I was afraid , but stuck to my guns. It was only after they looked in my wallet and found I had 200.00 and a receipt from the bank for 568.00 in FL. that they let me go. I never got a sorry or explanation as to why they were so sure I had done something wrong.I never found out who had fingered me or had any repercussions from shipmates , so I think the NIS guys told them I was clean.

second case happened when I asked police to put an alarm in my house , because my daughters mother( freshly my ex) was robbing me blind when I went out of town for work.later that week i went for 3 days out of town.upon my return, i was exhuasted and plopped down face first on my couch and went to sleep . I was awakened by shouting coming from the dining room . I opened my eyes to a large gun pointed at my head. Seeing that and knowing my hands were tucked under my chest out of sight i didnt move and listened to the officer tell me to not make any moves.He stood behind the wall and told me to slowly show my hands. I did as he asked and another officer behind me i didnt know about put me in hand cuffs.I was escourted from my house into a police car very roughly. After talking to an officer i was able to convince him i was not there illigally. A few days after that i left again and she was caught. she came in and made herself at home making a sandwich from the fridge. The police show up and call me saying she was in custody.I told them to let her go as i didnt want her to have a record. i just wanted her to leave my home alone when i was gone to work . They were annoyed with my decision ,but she never bothered my home again even though the police took away the alarm when i didnt press charges.

I used to own a sweet canary yellow RS camaro in my days after breaking up with my ex.It was the beginnig of my midlife crisis i suppose. I used to get pulled over constantly especially when i had two or more in the car. One time i was with my daughters uncle when guns were drawn in a safeway parking lot. they first asked us to show our hands and then came to the door and asked us for id. We gave it up and asked why the drama . First they said i had one exhuast pipe that was an inch lower than the other. When i made the remark that this was the first time in my life a cop had drawn a gun on me for a Vehicle infraction , they changed their story to saying they thought my passanger had a warrant out on him. He didnt so we were allowed to go. I think they just thought i was hinky for some reason . i Blamed the car after being pulled over time and time again w/o getting a ticket. always some lame excuse. I sold the car on trade in for a subaru about 2 yrs later and have not been pulled over in the last 20 yrs.

[marym625]

118. Oh my goodness!

I think I would have to change my clothes if I woke up to that! How scary!

Evidently yellow Camaro means drug dealer or pimp?

That's a great deal to have gone through. I am sorry you had to but glad you were able to keep the situations from getting worse.

Thank you for sharing that

[Bradical79]

120. Maybe a gun drawn, and a murder.

Had gun pulled on my mother and I when I was a toddler, though I don't remember the incident myself. She tells me a couple men who claimed to be police (plain clothes) pulled a gun at us when our dog barked at them as they were running behind our apartment building. I guess they were chasing somebody. Didn't show identification though.

In Florida a family member was beaten to death by police.

[marym625]

121. I am so very sorry

What a horrible thing. Was there anything ramifications for the police that killed your relative?

Your poor mom must have been scared out of her wits. Do you know if she ever called the local police to find out if they actually were cops or not?

Thank you for sharing these incidents

[Bradical79]

122. Thanks, and Im not sure

At the time of the gun incident (in the 80's) I think my mom didn't trust the local police as she'd been warned about them and their treatment of women in a previous incident.

In the murder incident, at least one of the officers involved was simply transferred and was still working in another state (Pennsylvania I think?). I seem to remember it being about some sort of bad drug deal the police and him were involved in, though I don't remember clearly. He was white with a very wealthy mother, so it was more general police corruption than an institutional racism or classism thing.

[marym625]

123. Wealth/ class

Same thing I would think.

How sad. All of it.

Thanks for elaborating