The author shares a personal story about being pulled over by police while driving, which he believes was an instance of racial profiling. He describes how he has been profiled multiple times while driving and has learned to de-escalate situations by being respectful and keeping his hands visible.
The author criticizes the police for not having a valid reason for pulling him over and for trying to irritate him. He also shares a story about his sister's boyfriend being wrongly accused of heroin possession due to a faulty drug test.
The author acknowledges that there are good cops, but believes that there is a systemic problem with racism and accountability in law enforcement. He suggests that body cameras and the ability for civilians to download footage from traffic stops could help increase accountability.
He also proposes that police should be required to wear body cameras at all times and that footage should be released in all instances, not just when a firearm is drawn. The author concludes by calling for common-sense solutions to address the problems of racism and accountability in law enforcement.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The author has been racially profiled and harassed by police multiple times.
2. The author's parents taught him how to act during a police stop to avoid escalation.
3. The author was pulled over by a cop who claimed the license plate light was flickering.
4. A backup cop arrived and claimed the author was in a construction zone, but the author disputes this.
5. The author was kept waiting for 45 minutes while the cops ran his license.
6. The author's sister was pulled over by a cop who searched her car and found a substance that tested positive for heroin, despite her boyfriend not using heroin.
7. The author's sister's boyfriend was arrested and charged with heroin possession.
8. The author believes there is a lack of accountability for law enforcement racism.
9. The author suggests that body cameras can help build trust between police and civilians.
10. The author proposes that civilians should be able to download body cam footage from traffic stops.
11. Some police officers have been found to repeatedly turn off their body cameras during incidents.
12. The author believes that accountability and common sense solutions are needed to address problems with police behavior.
13. The author mentions the case of Eric Garner, who was choked by a police officer and died.
14. The author notes that some civilians have been told to stop following a suspect, but have ignored this advice and gone on to commit violent acts.
15. The author believes that racism is still a significant problem in society.