We must demand the police “protect and serve” and respect us. We must also cooperate and facilitate their very difficult job and respect them.
A mixed race couple makes out in a parked car with the door open on the 11900 block of Ventura Blvd, last Thursday in Studio City, California. Someone makes a 911 call, complaining about a couple “black woman wearing a shirt and floral shorts, and a white man with a black tank top, committing a ‘lewd act’ in a car with the door open” (“indecent exposure”) in a public place. The cops come to investigate, and all hell breakes loose when the woman (African American actress Daniele Watts from the movie “Django Unchained”), who was “making out” with her boyfriend Brian Lucas, refuses to provide her ID to the police and is handcuffed when she walks away and then put in the back of the Police car.
Daniele insisted the couple did nothing wrong:
“I knew that the clearest thing for me to do was to own my right as a free person and say I haven’t done anything wrong and I know I’m not required to five you my ID…do you know how many times I’ve been called, the cops have been called just for being black?” Watts said. “just because we’re black and he’s white? I’m just being really honest, sir.”
Officer Parker: “who brought up the race card”
Daniele: ”I’m bringing it up”
Sergeant Parker: “I said nothing about you being black”
Although the police cannot arrest you for not showing your ID (unless you are stopped while driving and they ask for your driving license), it is a good idea to show your ID to the police when asked, especially if you have done nothing wrong, since it will make the interaction with them go smoother, verify who you are and get you on your way faster. (Please note that if the police have a reasonable suspicion that a criminal activity may be taking place, they have a right to ask for your ID.)
Although no one can get into the police officers’ minds, I suspect that their reaction would have been the same regardless of the race, or for that matter, the gender of the couple involved in the alleged “lewd act.” This specific couple’s reaction (although understandable under the circumstances), may have been influenced by their mixed race and history of legitimate unpleasant and racially biased encounters with the police, as well as, a feeling of being hounded due to their “celebrity” status.
No one is protecting the police here (they have a lot to answer for and improve upon, especially when it comes to minorities and abuse of power), and there is an ongoing police investigation into this matter. However, it is important to understand that not everything the police does or does not do is racially motivated. They are mostly good, ethical, professional and hardworking people in an extremely difficult job, and they also deserve the benefit of the doubt in some cases. We, however, need to hold their feet to the fire and demand they “protect and serve” us, and not “harass and abuse us.”
Clearly a more respectful, gentle and equal approach to the couple, would have probably produced the ID at first request and avoided this whole mess (please give the people their PDA’s). On the other hand, producing the ID immediately would have also resulted in a prompt resolution, regardless of the couple’s legitimate feeling of being imposed upon and disrespected, celebrity and actress fame notwithstanding.
What do you think?
Photo: James Park /Flicker Video: Fox11 /YouTube
Tricky think this fame and celebrity thing. Shame she thought she needed to do any of this and react this way to the police, who have their own demons to deal with and answer for. But this seems, at the risk of repeating myself, a tempest in a teapot.
Anyone out there think this was simply a publicity stunt? She is talented and attractive and I’m not sure what possessed both of them to do this?
Yeah