Black Oakland Firefighter Says White Cop Detained Him, Kids

NBC Bay Area ^ | Wednesday, Sep 3, 2014

[nickcarraway]

• Updated at 6:51 PM PDT

An Oakland firefighter, who is black, says an Oakland police officer, who is white, held him and his two sons at his own fire station, believing they were burglars. Keith Jones told reporters that he and his sons Trevon, 9, and Keith II, 12, had left a Raiders game at O.co Coliseum and were returning to their car, parked at the East Oakland fire station where Jones works.

Jones was "securing the station" after fire crews responding to an emergency had left a door open when a visitor arrived at about 10:45 p.m.: a police officer, who told Jones and his sons to put their hands up, according to reports.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports that Jones says the cop was "basically in a shooting stance" when he ordered Jones and his sons to put up their hands.

Jones says he identified himself as an Oakland firefighter but the police officer, who did not draw his weapon, kept his hand on his firearm and ordered the Jones family to keep their hands up.

"I'm pretty much thinking he's going to shoot me," Jones told reporters. His sons thought the same thing, the newspaper reported.

After a few minutes of a stand-off, the police officer allowed Jones to show his firefighter ID, the newspaper reported, and the incident ended without tragedy or further escalation.

The incident was captured on the officer's wearable camera, according to reports. Race relations and the behavior of police are hot topics in America after the killing of an unarmed black teenager by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri last month.

That case had echoes of the fatal shooting of unarmed Oscar Grant by a BART police officer at the Fruitvale Station in East Oakland, not far from Jones's fire station.

Jones said race was the reason why he had a gun on him.

"I think they [police officers] view black males as a threat," he told reporters.

[Carl Vehse]

It's 10:45 at night with an adult, a 9 yo boy and a 12 yo boy in a fire station that should have been locked shut, and with no one else around.

Yeah! The notion of "burglars" would be a first guess even for a polka-dot cop!

And note the report admits that the cop "DID NOT draw his weapon."

Also, once proper identification had been shown the incident ended, at least until the race cards started being thrown in the newspaper article.

Grow up.

[caww]

Holder now speaking about how they’re going to “change” the Ferguson police department.

Of course not any mention about the criminal element there...just that the police dept is going to have “training” in how they appraoch arrests etc.

As always...it’s never the criminal it’s always further tieing the hands of police officer.

Further their going to do a “self-Policing “ in Ferguson...

Can you see the payoffs coming in that! Like asking the wolf to guard the henhouse!

[showme_the_Glory]

Deranged and dangerous.

and don't forget it! Just win baby.

[Nifster]

Many of OPD are minorities. Note that the police officer had not drawn his gun. How are you thinking you are going to be shot when no gun is drawn. Also note race of officer not reported which in the Bay Area means not white

[MeganC]

I view cops as a threat.

These days anyone who comes into contact with law enforcement for any reasonwould be wise to do the same. Holding a cell phone, brake pads, a garden hose, or even just having your hands in your pockets can cause these people to shoot you. Or, like we saw in Los Angeles last year they'll shoot at you just because you're driving a vehicle that's vaguely similar to some criminals' vehicle.

You just never know what's going to set them off anymore.

[dalebert]

All Holder means is they are going to bring in more organize crime just like Chicago. MAFIA