Posted on 07/26/2017 2:44:23 PM PDT by Responsibility2nd
HOUSTON, Texas. - While he was mowing lawns and handing out business cards, a black teen said that he was harassed by a Harris County Precinct 1 police officer.
The teen, identified as 19-year-old Marvin Gibson, captured the incident on video.
The video shows the officer asking Gibson for his identification and an explanation of why he is going door to door. The teen provides his business card and explains that he is giving out his cards to promote a lawn care service.
The officer asked him for his name and date of birth. The young man provided this information but then asked the officer why he is asking him about his personal information.
The officer responded, “I’m investigating what you are doing.”
Gibson is confused by that response since he has already explained that he is providing business cards for a lawn care service.
Seemingly frustrated about being questioned, the officer told the teen that, regardless, he is supposed to provide identification anytime an officer asks for it.
Gibson then asked for the officer’s card.
The officer responded by taking out his handcuffs and indicated that he will just arrest the teen..
Gibson backed away, telling the officer that he is on video.
A second teenager appeared on the video, questioning why they are being stopped. As the camera panned around, it showed a lawnmower, care equipment and the business cards that the teens are using.
As the second teenager explained that they don’t understand why they are being questioned for mowing grass and putting out business cards, the officer said, “Put your hands down,” even though the video does not show either teen with their hands in the air.
At this point, the teens pointed out that they are clearly doing lawn care and told the officer that they believe they have been profiled for being young black males.
From behind the camera, Gibson explained that they are questioning the officer’s behavior, because they are concerned about it happening again to someone else, potentially resulting in someone getting hurt.
The teen returned home. However, officers soon came to his home and continued pressing him, claiming they need identification from Gibson.
At the end of the video, the teens included snapshots of injuries they claimed they received during a raid of their home that followed the incident.
No, that's clearly not all they were doing.
Look, if you're gonna poke the bear, don't be surprised when the bear pokes back.
What do you base that on? I'm not saying you're incorrect. I'm just asking.
My guess is that one of the neighbors called the police. A couple of teenage boys going door to door could be completely innocent or it could be a case of them casing the neighborhood and looking to commit crimes of opportunity. I might call the police, too. We’ve had some breakins in the neighborhood, a home invasion or two, so, yeah. Better safe than sorry.
They should have a permit to solicit. I always ask to see a permit from anyone who knocks on my door - black, white, red, brown, or green. No permit gets a call to the local cops.
Did you rake leaves for money when you were young? Shovel snow? Mow lawns? I did all of those. I never had a “permit to solicit”.
that’s what you need in my neighborhood but it seems like an over reaction by the cops towards a pair of kids who are trying to make a buck....
i hope i’m wrong...
They had the camera going and went looking to create an incident. Happens all the time.
I’m looking at other websites as I FReep. Trying to see if this story is actually true or a video lie.
It’s very suspicious.
At their ages.....shouldn’t they have a biz license? My kid has had his own lawn biz since he was 10. When he’s old enough to pay taxes, he gets a biz license from the city. JMO.
This is in Texas folks, you do not need a business license and you do not need a permit to solicit business, get a grip people.
My guess: Either somebody’s parents didn’t want their kid/s prices undercut, or someone wanted to get in good with the professional lawn guys who do the neighborhood, and whoever it was called it in. And if the local LEOs didn’t consider that aspect of it, they should have.
Old enough to have drivers licenses and they should have produced them if they were legit. Police can ask for identification and it is not unreasonable.
“had the camera going”?? First off, everyone has a camera these days. Its called a phone. And quite frankly, given what some of the police have been doing these days, I don’t blame the kid for filming.
“911...state your emergency?”
“Yeah, there are a couple kids carrying stolen rakes and pushing a stolen lawnmower down the street.”
Glad to see all these big government types who are just dandy with giving the police whatever information they want.
You are not compelled to provide ID when you haven’t done anything wrong.
I watched the video and didn’t see them doing anything else.
What was it you saw?
L
Houston is a blue city.
Had the name of the kid been Gutierrez rather than Gibson, the situation would have been handled better by the Unionized City employee.
In Texas, you only have to produce ID if you are under arrest or driving.
So you’re worried that these potential burglars were casing the neighborhood and leaving their 100% accurate business cards at every house?
At these break ins and home invasions in your neighborhood did the criminals leave behind their business cards?
Also, if your neighborhood is that bad then you need more firepower. You might also want to organize a neighborhood militia since the police in your very dangerous town are obviously useless.
Yeah, what’s all this carp about a “permit to solicit”? I never heard of such a thing.
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