Atlanta’s Growing Police Brutality Problems Now Include Me!

This post is a personal reflection. It’s off-topic from what you’re accustomed to seeing here, but I felt it important enough to share. I have a platform, and I need to use it. Keep reading and you’ll understand.

I’ve been out of sorts for a little while now. Here’s why:

One morning my hubby fell off his moped in trying to avoid hitting a car in front of him that changed lanes while driving down our small street. He comes home, washes off the blood, and then the ish hits the fan…

The freakin police bang on my back door like somebody is a stone cold killer in my house. Now the drama begins. Ya’ll know I have kids right? Well, you do now, I have 2 kids. I go with my hubby to the door thinking the police are there to walk with him to the ambulance so he can get medical treatment. My son and dog (that’s my Princess below) are right behind us. Instead…

The goddamn cop panics, pulls his gun out and points it at my dog and starts yelling to hold my dog or he’ll shoot her. Yes, he stereotyped me and screwed up big time. I was already holding my dog, who hasn’t lunged or made any aggressive motion toward the cop AT ALL. My son is standing right in the line of fire. WTF? My husband, seeing this, tells the cop don’t point your gun at my kid and the irate cop is still yelling in a panic, reholsters his gun, yanks my husband’s arm and breaks his wrist trying to put him in handcuffs. SHIT! He wasn’t even resisting this officer. But I’ll tell you what, we all knew he broke his wrist as soon as it happened.

Fast forward to the false arrest for a hit and run, changing lanes and all this other bullshit, and my husband goes to the ER. ER takes x-rays, sends him off to jail with all his wounds still open and bleeding. Next day, due to pain and lack of medication, my husband goes back to the hospital, is shackled against doctor’s orders, falls backwards in the paddywagon, and now his knee is busted and will require surgery. So now we have ignorant cops, CO’s, and incompetent doctors to deal with.

Why am I sharing this? Because I felt like it, that’s why! What good is having a voice if you don’t use it? We need to shed more light on a failing system and overzealous law enforcement officers that treat people like crap! I’m so frustrated at hearing of these false arrests and police brutality cases, it’s an absolute disgrace. The sad thing is that we have heard from several local people who confirmed this happens far more often in Atlanta than we realize. How ironic – this is supposed to be the birthplace of civil rights and yet black people are treated unequally and prematurely judged on a regular basis?!

We have been to two hospitals, spoken to several doctors and still can’t get the proper quality of care. When I act nice and speak politely no one listens. Now when I show my a$$, and get to acting like a fool everyone wants to listen. Do you know I had to act like a ignorant, indignant tyrant just to get my husband some halfway decent pain medication?

I have a son. You have a son, you have a brother, a father, a husband, an uncle. This can happen to anyone. This whole system is failing the young and old alike.

Change comes from within. If you’re a cop and you know of these types of cops  that we’re talking about, do your part to train these officers, and guide them in the right direction or get them off the force. You’re already a part of the system, don’t be a part of the problem, be a part of the solution. Just like we should point out terrorists, we need to point out any known dangerous member of society, trigger happy cops included.

I felt the need to share my story. Hell, you might be hearing more about this case here or elsewhere. I feel like I need to do something, not only for my husband but for my young son. I don’t want him to have to endure such senseless abuse from any law enforcement agency. Did I mention racial profiling – yeah, that’s definitely part of the problem here, and that’s more than just my personal opinion.

Aren’t we all sickened by the ignorance, lack of training, inappropriate behavior and actions by those we think are working to serve and protect us?

Thanks for listening,

K

*This represents my personal summary of what happened. All facts aren’t stated due to an ongoing court case.