Posted on 09/14/2014 3:34:06 PM PDT by Kaslin
At first glance, this story doesn’t look like the sort of thing which would normally catch our attention, but it really does tie in to broader issues currently under discussion nationally in terms of race relations and how the police interact with those they serve and protect. Out on the left coast, quite close to the liberal Ground Zero of Hollywood, actress Daniele Watts ran into some trouble this week. (You may remember Watts from her appearance in Django Unchained among other roles.) As Reason tells the tale, she was outdoors, hanging out with her husband and talking on the phone with her father, when she was approached by the police.
African-American actress Danièle Watts claims she was “handcuffed and detained” by police officers from the Studio City Police Department in Los Angeles on Thursday after allegedly being mistaken for a prostitute.
According to accounts by Watts and her husband Brian James Lucas, two police officers mistook the couple for a prostitute and client when they were seen showing affection in public. Watts refused to show her ID to the cops when questioned and was subsequently handcuffed and placed in the back of their car while police attempted to ascertain her identity. The two officers released Watts shortly afterwards.
There are two sides to this story and we shouldn’t ignore either of them. I will grant that there are questions to be answered as to how and why the officers determined that she might be a prostitute and approached her on that basis. Watts is black and her husband is white, so it would be disingenuous to ignore that aspect of the encounter with the cops entirely. If this was an area which was experiencing a lot of problems and complaints about such activity, they might approach anyone. But if this was some sort of selective targeting which was out of their normal enforcement priorities, it’s fair to ask questions about that.
But there’s a second part to this story as well. By her own account of the events, the cops began by asking questions, not throwing her to the ground, tazing her or any other such tactics. And the leading question – which I’m sure anyone of any race who has ever had to speak to the police has heard as well – was can we see your ID? This is pretty basic. If the cops think that there might be a crime to be investigated, ascertaining who they are speaking with is pretty much square one. Watts made the conscious decision to refuse to identify herself or show her ID.
What are the cops supposed to do in cases like this? If there was a burglary in the area and they saw someone who matched the description of a suspect, if that person refuses to show their ID should the police just say, Oh well, I guess that’s a dead end and walk away? Watts clearly knew where this was going and it’s difficult to believe she didn’t react that way as a provocative act to get a reaction from the police. Had she simply identified herself and revealed that the person with her was her husband – particularly given her high profile identity – this matter would have been over in moments. And in the end, she was not taken to the station, locked up, or anything else. The cops figured out who she was, that there was no crime in progress, and cut her loose.
Many years ago, Chris Rock put out a comedy video about how not to get in trouble with the police. (Language warning should go without saying.) Behind the humor there’s probably some pretty good advice to be found. (And before you set your hair on fire, yes… that was a joke. And I’ve always loved that video.)
the officer looks like another white-hispanic... /sarc
This is a case of Existing While Black, which is apparently in and of itself suspicious.
IMHO, this is just another case of power hungry and stupid cops.
I'm white and have put up with too much needless crap from cops over the years.
“But, hey ... yuk it up. I tried to warn you.”
Why address this to me? My comment seems to be quite inline with yours. I was hardly “yukking it up!”
Since I grew up black in Detroit, it was drummed into me since I was about seven, old enough to go to the corner store by myself, to always, always be relaxed, polite and ready to show certain information to the cops, otherwise I may end up like Uncle
“X” did when he got a little too mouthy for his own good.
I’m speaking of when you get a reasonable request from an officer.
This is a custom I follow to this day, as it has kept me from being arrested or accosted without due cause. Yes, I know that is not the way you’ve always heard it should be, but for my family, it has been a method of survival for over a generation.
Point well made!
Good advice for anyone, regardless of color.
Could be, don’t know. Every cop in the country seems to need a refresher course lately.
“Is he a black white man?”
“No. He’s a white black man.” —in speaking of a black albino in “Stanley and Livingstone” (1939)
Methinks you are right, and methinks anyone who doesn't is a fool.
FReegards!
No
The Police had no Probable Cause.
If they did they could take her in for booking
If they had Reasonable Suspicion they could temporally detain her while they conducted a quick investigation.
My guess is the Police over stepped their bounds.
What world do some of you people live in. There was no proof of a crime. How someone looks is not a crime. Did the police know for a fact(from previous incidents) that this women was a prostitute?- NO they did not. Did they overhear an offer for sex for Money? - No they did not. Were they even in pursuit of a reported crime suspect.
They had no business demanding anything from this women. Those of you who think they did- What are you doing here?
Is catching prostitutes worth loosing your freedom and constitutional rights? No wonder their is no one left to run this country.
I would think the fact they were kissing would indicate she wasn’t a prostitute.
police routinely fill out field interview cards...
There are people without ID, on whose behalf lawsuits have been issued against infringing their right to vote. I would think that the right to walk the street unmolested without ID is an even more basic right.
There are many times where my wife comes with me and doesn't bother to grab her purse with her ID, because I'm driving. Should she be afraid of being locked up if a police officer becomes curious of her identity, without any probable cause of her having done something wrong?
Sitting in a car kissing is NOT probable cause for anything.
Never been to a prostitute (I’m a girl) so I wouldn’t know.
But if some guy wanted to pay for a person to sit in his lap in a car and play kissy face...she will get paid for this desire, I suppose.
I just know that, around here, if a couple of kids are caught in a car doing the wild thing they are arrested. It’s been that way for many, many years.
“My guess is the Police over stepped their bounds.”
And she was with her husband, who, I’m sure said she was his wife. I think she was justifiably offended!
********************
This is absolutely spot-on correct.
Contemporary police need to slow down and get a grip on reality.
If two people are kissing or whatever...who cares?
She was under no obligation to identify herself to the JBT who was clearly in the wrong as the eventual monetary settlement will demonstrate.
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