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[GK86]

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Three African-American teens found themselves in handcuffs on Thursday after they were caught selling water bottles at Washington D.C.’s National Mall without a permit. In a statement, Sgt. Anna Rose of the U.S. Park Police said that the teens—two 17 year olds and a 16-year-old—were placed in handcuffs and detained for the “safety of the officers and of the individuals.”

A photo snapped of three plainclothes officers detaining the teenagers near the Mall's Smithsonian Castle went viral Friday after passerby Tim Krepp, a tour guide, tweeted the image of the boys in handcuffs sitting next to a bin of plastic water bottles.

“My kids sell water and everyone smiles at them. These kids do it and get arrested. It IS racist," Krepp wrote, later adding, "God forbid the actual free market be allowed on our National Mall."

The photo sparked public outrage over the authorities aggressive handling of the boys, with several commenters, including Krepp, calling the officers' decision to handcuff and detain the teens a racial injustice.

However, Rose said that the incident was “blown out of proportion"

“Vending on the National Mall is illegal without a permit," Rose said, adding that the teens were released without charges after their parents arrived to the park’s police station.

The park’s police are still being requested to explain why the officers decided to handle the situation with such severity. In a letter to park Police Chief Robert MacLean on Friday, Democratic D.C. Council member Charles Allen asked why the agency thought it was appropriate to arrest the teens for something as menial as selling water bottles, NBC Washington reported.

Although Allen admitted that the teens were in violation of the park’s vending laws, he noted that the officers would have most likely taken a softer approach if it had been small children running a lemonade stand at the same location.

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

Black kids treated unfairly by police. Water is wet.

 

[Miles Quaritch]

Do they also handcuff kids who set up illegal lemonade stands?

 

[Saucycarpdog]

Black kids treated unfairly by police. Water is wet.

No, water is $2

 

[Vermillion]

Welp.

No, water is $2

No, water is illegal.

 

[Mysterious]

Do they also handcuff kids who set up illegal lemonade stands?

Not if they're white. That's so cute!

 

[excelsiorlef]

Fuck it's sad when first thing that comes to mind is at least they're alive.

Goddamn cuffed for selling water

 

[parrotbeak]

Black kids treated unfairly by police. Water is wet.

Alarmist newsreader voice: "They were selling a product teenagers are calling 'wet'."

 

[NoblesseOblige]

Phew. Keeping us safe from the threat of black entrepreneurship.

 

[Abraxas]

This is bizarre. There are always people selling water, coke, etc. on the mall, and i have even seen cops/park services buy from them. I don't see a valid reason for doing this, as its incredibly hot here, and the few official drinks stands have huge lines anyway. This officers don't have a leg to stand on when it comes to this conduct. Saying it was for their own safety is another excuse for racist bullying, hiding behind a gun.

 

[Impeccable]

Jesus.

 

[akira28]

Fuck it's sad when first thing that comes to mind is at least they're alive.

Goddamn cuffed for selling water

no, cuffed for the safety of the officers, and the safety of the criminal of course. the water selling was just the reason the police had to jeopardize their safety, and the safety of the criminals. it wasn't a serious offense, and they weren't even charged. But the safety of the officers had to be paramount, and being placed in handcuffs is a necessary part of that safety. and of course it was for their own good.

we all know what happens when those officers fear for their own safety....

but seriously why don't you SJWs stop being so hard on cops. its unfair and you don't have any idea all the stresses that come with the job glub glub glub

 

[Brinbe]

Obvious racism is obvious.

This will definitely help those teens further trust cops/the system in the future.

 

[1.21Gigawatts]

I feel so much safer now. Thanks officers.

 

[rjinaz]

You tell them to leave. The end.

Oh wait this is America. They are Black and even if just teens, they can Hulk out and go on a rampage, so ya got to be careful ya know?

 

[Strike]

Meanwhile Rick Snyder has been poisoning people's water for years.

 

[NoblesseOblige]

How much does a permit cost to be vendor at the national mall anyway? Because I'd totally chip in some money to buying them a permit.

 

[gnexus]

tired of these damn kids armed with those fidget spinners slinging their dihydrogen monoxide in places where our CHILDREN are!

god bless these brave police men

 

[Daedardus]

I mean, it is illegal to sell water bottles without a permit. But did they really had to be handcuffed? You just keep being polite, show the badge, ask them to leave with a warning and if they would try to harm you, then yes, you could take action. But handcuffing them like this? Not needed at all.

 

[Aselith]

How much does a permit cost to be vendor at the national mall anyway? Because I'd totally chip in some money to buying them a permit.

$100k to the Trump Foundation tax deductible!

 

[Dreams-Visions]

seems legit

you never know what's in dem water bottles.

 

[Vital Tundra]

Gotta protect everyone from these viscous black teenagers. Never know with these kids can do if not detained. Yo seriously what the fuck? If it was some white kids they would tell them they can't sell water there and the officers would have been on their way.

 

[Mighty Chin]

Easy arrest. The cop probably hit his quota.

 

[akira28]

How much does a permit cost to be vendor at the national mall anyway? Because I'd totally chip in some money to buying them a permit.

depends on if you need to get a permit with the park service, as it appears to be the park police enforcing their federal law which says concessions sales must be done by park service contracted vendors. If you just needed t get a permit with the city, there's a 500 dollar bi-annual fee and then per person registration fees. but I don't see anyone explaining that to the kids in handcuffs. And that's probably way more than their overhead and how much they expected to make anyway...


you can drive up and down streets in DC and see kids selling water and gatorades with little interference. But the National Mall is a big tourist spot. Can't have the locals selling water to the tour groups from Nebraska.

 

[BronsonLee]

STOP THEM ASAP

Water costs 1$ for a six pack! Their capitalism must be stopped!

seems legit

you never know what's in dem water bottles.

Futurama told me it was LSD

 

[BHK3]

How much does a permit cost to be vendor at the national mall anyway? Because I'd totally chip in some money to buying them a permit.

good luck with that it'd get denied cause their black

 

[old]

So illegal without a permit. Well, what does it take to get a permit?

 

[blakep267]

Racist pieces of garbage

Side note. The coldest most refreshing water I've ever had was sold to me in a hot park by some teenagers.

Those kids are doing a public service

 

[akira28]

if you don't put them in cuffs they'll just be back next week doing the same thing. You gotta punish them, give them something physical to think about.

 

[rjinaz]

Fuck it's sad when first thing that comes to mind is at least they're alive.

Goddamn cuffed for selling water

Yep, Eric Garner was killed for selling loose cigs. You just never know how it's going to go with the power hungry and racist.

 

[NoblesseOblige]

Cops act like they don't give a reason for people to hate them when they're handcuffing non-violent minors for doing something relatively innocent. Yes, it is technically not legal to sell bottled goods on the sidewalk without a permit. But for Chrissake they're 16 and 17. I remember being in scouts and being allowed to sell things without a permit, which included to police.

An officer actually interested in improving relations and maintaining the law would have gone about this entirely different way. Like I'd have offered to buy their remaining stock for the day, while letting them know that they would require a permit to continue further. Then I'd either start a fundraiser in the precinct to buying them a permit, or offer them the opportunity to sell and deliver water directly to the precinct. Cops get good PR, young people get an opportunity to learn entrepreneurship. Everybody wins.

There are so many creative solutions to protecting and serving that don't involve handcuffing and persecuting.

 

[Shadow Puppetry]

"Three African-American teens found themselves in handcuffs"

That's all I needed to know.

 

[Violater]

Do these people just want black people back in shackles as slaves? Is that their end game?

 

[cameron]

According to Sgt. Anna Rose of the U.S. Park Police, shortly after 5 p.m., officers detained the three teens at 12th Street and Jefferson Drive, Northwest, for illegally vending.

The teens, two of whom are 17 and the other 16, told officers they did not have a vendor’s permit, which is required to sell items on the National Mall, Rose said.
“Officers placed them in handcuffs for the safety of the officers and of the individuals,” Rose said on Friday.

According to Rose, the teens were eventually released to their guardians with a verbal warning from Park Police regarding illegal vending. Their belongings were also returned to them.

Could've easily given the teens a verbal warning at the park and that would've been the end of it.

 

[blitz64]

So illegal without a permit. Well, what does it take to get a permit?

Here is an example of a permit application request in Californmia to sell food/water.

http://sonomacounty.ca.gov/Health/Environmental-Health/Food-Program/Food-Truck-or-Cart-Permit/

 

[Enzom21]

Sgt. Anna Rose of the U.S. Park Police said that the teens—two 17 year olds and a 16-year-old—were placed in handcuffs and detained for the “safety of the officers and of the individuals.”

Three adult men afraid of teenagers?

Three African-American teens

Oh... okay that makes sense, racists do find us terrifying.

 

[Zetta]

Man this fucking sucks so much....I just don't even know what to say. This is damn depressing to see.

 

[akira28]

100000% chance someone out there is getting geared up because this is another harmless incident being blasted in the news as an example of that ancient dead ghost, racism.

'people make race into an issue when all these kids had to do was follow the laws. follow the laws and you won't end up in handcuffs, you won't get choked and you won't get shot. probably. '

 

[Dishwalla]

That's lame. It gets hot as fuck in the National Mall, and I know I've seen people walking around with coolers selling water or Gatorade before.

 

[Turbo Killer]

Could've easily given the teens a verbal warning at the park and that would've been the end of it.

Cops are only safe when black people are in handcuffs.

 

[The Faceless Master]

Do these people just want black people back in shackles as slaves? Is that their end game?

well, the answer to that is pretty easy... when was 'American great' so we can bring it back there again?

 

[Boke1879]

Come on now.

 

[mr_nexus]

Your tax dollars being put to good use /s.

 

[The Faceless Master]

Cops are only safe when black people are in handcuffs.

Oscar Grant

Victor White III

Jamar Clark



Cops aren't even safe when Black people are also cops.

 

[The Jazz Cabbage Master]

Home of the Freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

 

[Enzom21]

Your tax dollars being put to good use /s.

There is no sarcasm, the system is working as intended.

 

[Pbae]

This would have never have happened if you had Vending machines installed with guns.

 

[ColdPizza]

A warning would have sufficed. This is silly.

 

[RS4-]

Maybe they were selling Michigan water!

Fuck cops.

 

[Nipo]

Might have been said already but the NPP gave them a warning to leave on another day and were responding to complaints from vendors with permits to sell food/drink in the area and were being undersold.

Doesn't make it right but at least explains why it happened.