BRK: Before Rodney King

In 1970 a young man was returning home after walking his girl friend home in Compton, CA. When for no reason at all a police car swooped in front of him and blocked his path. Two uniformed officers, had bright lights and two guns pointed at him. He was told to get on his knees, with his hands on his head. He was harassed and called ugly names and was never told why he had been stopped. One of the police pointed his finger, in the form of a gun, into the forehead of this young man. He cocked back his thumb and said "POW!" The young man was startled at the sound he made. He looked at the young man and asked, "You scared Boy?"
After a little more harassment and insults, the police finally let the young man go, and even told him to "Run". The young man refused and said, "I'm not going to run, you have to shoot me walking." The young man walked away trembling, hoping he wouldn't hear the shot that killed him. They did not shoot. The young man reported the harassment the next day, and 42 years later,. is still waiting for a response. The young man this happened too was me.

When I was coming up this was common. Police abused African American men with impunity. There were many cases here in Los Angeles, in which Blacks where shot and killed by police, beaten almost to death in the same manner as Rodney King, with many people  claiming to have witnessed the abuse or shooting, yet the police where vindicated by internal investigation or commissions. Before Rodney King I do recall one case in Los Angeles, in which a police officer was indicted for Police Abuse.

On that fateful night of March 1, 1991. A miracle seemed to have happened for African American men. A brand new technology would once and for all question the integrity of Urban police and the abuse of  Black men, The Hand Held Video Camera. There for all to see, the LAPD were video taped beating an unarmed helpless black man. The eyes don't lie, or do they?

Well a couple of things changed. For the first time in my life, police officers were indited for police abuse. The other was the majority of  public opinion was on the side of the victim. They were charged and brought to trial. Yet were found not guilty by a jury in a court of law. A riot occurred, more than 30 people lost their lives, and there was  billions of dollars in damage.

Yet 20 years later, I do see a big change. I have seen other cases in which police were put on trial. It was never an automatic release from prosecution for police to abuse an African American male. Police units now have video cameras mounted, all across the nation, so police can protect themselves from malicious claims of police abuse. The benefit has been a reduction of police abuse claims and those that do occur are prosecuted immediately and there has been some justice. It also reduced the reputation of the LAPD and in my opinion, helped uncover the scandals of the LAPD  Rampart Division.

Of course there are still claims of abuse and I have no doubt that most are true. But at least now in this day and time, calls for justice will be answered and hopefully it will speed up, not  like in the case of Trayvon Martin. And one day the plight of being a African American male in America, will not have to have a tragic event to have it resolved.