So after the last Council meeting (which was something of a snoozer) we went across Anaheim Blvd to do a little work at Starbucks, and just happened to be glancing out the front window when a black guy rode by on a bike, followed closely by a police car that pulled up right behind him, and the two officers practically jogged after him as though he were really dangerous! Of course, Donna grabbed her phone and went out to film, a film you’ll see below.
The officers REALLY wanted to “pat him down for weapons,” which they made pains to distinguish from an actual “search.” But the gentleman knew his rights and wouldn’t let them. Over and over the lead officer (whose name we didn’t get) tried to convince him that “THERE IS CASELAW” – and he could write it down on a notepad too! – allowing him to do that. He was referring to Terry v. Ohio, and he was wrong – that ruling allows police to pat you down for weapons ONLY IF they have a clear and “articulable” reason to suspect you’re armed or connected to some crime, and they didn’t have that, or even pretend to.
The lead officer also appeared to believe that using the WORD “de-escalation” is the same as de-escalation. He tried saying to the gentleman, “YOU KNOW why we pulled you over” … but that didn’t work. Nobody knew why. Likewise the line, “I just want to make sure we all go home tonight” – as though they were all one wrong move away from a tragic and fiery denouement – also fell flat.
After a while, at the biker’s request, the Supervisor, Sergeant Sandoval, showed up – eventually there were four cruisers and (it sounded like) a helicopter as well, just for this one fellow who was apparently biking “down the middle of the street” a while earlier (lights and all!)
After twenty-five long minutes they just gave him a ticket and let him go. This is Biking While Black, in Anaheim, California.
Why are you as a writer trying to stir the pot? I see officers pulling over white guys in Anaheim who are on bikes, do you know for sure the reason they pulled him over just because he was black.
I don’t know, do they also try to pat down these white guys for weapons with no reason, do the white guys refuse, and do the cops (wrongly) try to convince them that they’re entitled to do that?
I don’t know what was in this officer’s head or what made him so suspicious of this black guy. All I mentioned of race (almost) was in the title, and this guy was definitely Biking While Black.
“Stir the pot,” by the way, is in the Official Blogger’s Job Description. I believe. It’s in there somewhere.
Yes to all of that. You’re a race-baiting virtue signaller. Shame.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
White privilege
My attitude is that if there’s a public pot, chances are damn good it needs stirring.
Stirring the pot is what you’re doing. You don’t know why they pulled him over. I say there must’ve been a reason as to why. Like you I have no clue so I won’t speculate.
Not sure if that was supposed to be addressed to Larry or me or Dave.
But I won’t ASSUME there was a good reason. That’s unhealthy to do, with authority figures. I would like to know.
Of course there was a reason, Einstein. There’s a reason for everything.
Exactly!
Black or white, if they had pull someone over for any crime justifying a search, I’d imagine 25 minutes was enough time to state it. All I see here is them trying to convince someone to give up their 4th Amendment right without just cause.
What was the reason for the pat down? They didn’t say he was brandishing a weapon, or they would have STATED that. And exactly how many white guys do you see pulled over because your statements smacks of hyperbole?
Guess it was a slow night. Doncha just hate it when cops with a high school diploma get all Clarence Darrow?
A helicopter? What the Hell!
What degrees u have
Me have degree.
Is Anaheim the new Beverly Hills?
What did he get cited for Black in Public?
It’s a thing.
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-09-01/beverly-hills-arrest-black-people
https://amp.tmz.com/2021/09/01/beverly-hills-police-department-city-racial-profiling-lawsuit-ben-crump/
is there a way to just thank the APD for their service?
Sure. Send a postcard to 425 S Harbor Blvd, Anaheim, CA 92805.
I hope it’ll be more than just “thanks for harassing an innocent black guy on a bike.” You could thank em instead for catching the bullies who broke into Sycamore School and beat up a kid and the principal.
Uhhh… they harass them because these homeless “black guys on blacks” are caught on ring cams daily ripping off mail and packages from local homes. A black guy (or white for that matter) riding around in a ski mask is suspicious. They are up to no good, and the cops know it.
At Varsity Donna and I happened to run into the protagonist of this story (currently at 2903 readers by the way) and he gave us permission to use his name, and no wonder as it is a way cool name – it is Jack White. It turns out that, after making him wait 25 minutes and trying unsuccessfully to convince him they were entitled to “pat him down for weapons,” the APD gave him a ticket for $360-something – pretty draconian and punitive for allegedly riding a bike on the wrong side of the road, and WALKING a bike against a red arrow.
Meanwhile I think it’s fair to say that Donna’s video featured in that story has GONE VIRAL at 60,000 views and counting. But more importantly, how can Jack White fight that ticket? If he’s gonna challenge it in court, it’s gotta be before June 1.
Sounds like he very much broke the law. He can now pay or plead not guilty and try to fight it. Interesting how you don’t even know how courts and tickets work.
Your amazing smartness is noted. He is taking it to trial in July.
Someone needs to pat “bill” down for weapons. At least he’s safe from them finding a sharp wit.
I was riding with him the whole trip from when we left my house and almost made it to Vons. I can be seen in this video on the other side video taping also. I didn’t get pulled over and rushed at by the cop and yelled “Don’t Move” BTW… I’m White
It’s interesting to read people’s comments when they don’t know what really happened.
At one point there where 13 officers 5 cars and a helicopter