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My white neighbor thought I was breaking into my own apartment. (Article)

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entremet

entremet

Member
Crazy terrifying.

I said it was only me and, hands still raised, slowly descended the stairs, focused on one officer’s eyes and on his pistol. I had never looked down the barrel of a gun or at the face of a man with a loaded weapon pointed at me. In his eyes, I saw fear and anger. I had no idea what was happening, but I saw how it would end: I would be dead in the stairwell outside my apartment, because something about me — a 5-foot-7, 125-pound black woman — frightened this man with a gun. I sat down, trying to look even less threatening, trying to de-escalate. I again asked what was going on. I confirmed there were no pets or people inside.

I told the officers I didn’t want them in my apartment. I said they had no right to be there. They entered anyway. One pulled me, hands behind my back, out to the street. The neighbors were watching. Only then did I notice the ocean of officers. I counted 16. They still hadn’t told me why they’d come.
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Full article: https://www.washingtonpost.com/post...nto-my-own-apartment-nineteen-cops-showed-up/

911 Call at the link
 
R

Ralemont

not me
The rare thread title that undersells what happened. Jesus Christ. Over a dozen armed policemen ready to shoot you for being in your own apartment.
 
R

RMI

Banned
Jesus Christ. Feel really bad for this woman, and what's up with everyone just blowing off her concerns. I would be pissed the fuck off and terrified too.
 
R

RMI

Banned
the part about the neighbor who called the cops being completely unapologetic is probably the most infuriating part. I expect the police to behave like self righteous assholes.
 
M

Makonero

Member
I just don't get the fear. The 911 caller didn't say the "burglars" were armed, right? I just don't understand how this can happen. So ridiculous. Real change needs to happen, and soon.
 
Trojita

Trojita

Rapid Response Threadmaker
Why does it seem like there are 10 officers called for stuff like this? Every video out there it's like a swarm of them appearing out of nowhere.
 
D

dvdjamm

Member
I introduced myself to the reporting neighbor and asked if he was aware of the gravity of his actions — the ocean of armed officers, my life in danger. He stuttered about never having seen me, before snippily asking if I knew my next-door neighbor. After confirming that I did and questioning him further, he angrily responded, “I’m an attorney, so you can go f— yourself,” and walked away.
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What a total asshole.
 
R

RMI

Banned
Trojita said:
Why does it seem like there are 10 officers called for stuff like this? Every video out there it's like a swarm of them appearing out of nowhere.
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that way when they start shooting the victim is sure to get 50 bullets in them and they won't be able to dispute the officers' version of events.
 
M

masud

Banned
Sad but this kind of thing happens daily(it's happened to me more than once). We just hear about the ones where the person gets shot.
 
G

Guevara

Member
16? 17? 19 officers?!

I've called the cops on actual real-life crimes before and I'm lucky if one officer shows up.
 
C

ClosingADoor

Member
19 police officers? That's more then I see in a month.

Isn't it standard to just sent one car to something like this? It isn't like there was a shooting going on.

And the response is just so strange. Also from the neighbor. Almost like you have to be thankful not to get shot for living your own live. That must have been a terrifying thing to go through.
 
P

PartlyCloudlike

Member
I listened to her recount this story on public radio. Suffice it to say it was horrifying, unsurprising, and infuriating to listen to. I can't imagine what she must've felt. She was only suspected because she was black. Anyone who thinks this would've happened to a white person is full of shit.
 
C

Chaos17

Member
I read some comment over there and they seem to not understand that the police over reacted by sending 16+ policeman for just one person (or 2 because the neighboor saw the lockpicker service man).... and I think that's the main problem for me.

A mistake could happen so you send one patrol but 16 person ?!
*shiver*
 
T

Toxi

Banned
I introduced myself to the reporting neighbor and asked if he was aware of the gravity of his actions — the ocean of armed officers, my life in danger. He stuttered about never having seen me, before snippily asking if I knew my next-door neighbor. After confirming that I did and questioning him further, he angrily responded, “I’m an attorney, so you can go f— yourself,” and walked away.
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What a pleasant man.
 
T

The Lamp

Member
The woman is totally right that this was handled improperly. But I can't understand from the article, did she actually break the lock to her house and enter because she was late to a soccer game? If I didn't know me neighbors well enough, I probably would have reported that too.

That doesn't excuse the behavior or justifications of the police officers, or the lack of professionalism by the Santa Monica Police Department.
 
B

bchamba

Member
If she didn't speak English she might have ended up another paralyzed police victim because of a racist neighbor
 
L

Liu Kang Baking A Pie

Member
masud said:
Sad but this kind of thing happens daily(it's happened to me more than once). We just hear about the ones where the person gets shot.
Click to expand...
Yep, I've heard stories like this from a lot of black and Latin people. Like doing your laundry in the complex's laundry room and coming out to find police questioning them.
 
R

Redd

Member
Real talk, I don't know any of my neighbors by name. I prefer it that way so they don't ask me for favors or rides. I wave at them in the morning sometimes to be polite but that's it.

Been here for 7+ years. In a great neighborhood.
 
N

norm9

Member
The Lamp said:
The woman is totally right that this was handled improperly. But I can't understand from the article, did she actually break the lock to her house and enter because she was late to a soccer game? If I didn't know me neighbors well enough, I probably would have reported that too.

That doesn't excuse the behavior or justifications of the police officers, or the lack of professionalism by the Santa Monica Police Department.
Click to expand...

She locked herself out but went to the soccer game anyways. Came back with a locksmith afterwards and that's when the neighbor saw people poking around and called the coppers.

Definite overkill police response. Neighbor did the right thing but is an asshole in the aftermath.
 
D

DiipuSurotu

Banned
spmQGzJ.gif
x 19
 
Maiden Voyage

Maiden Voyage

Gold™ Member
The department also said that it was protocol for this type of call to warrant “a very substantial police response,” and that any failure of officers to provide their names and badge numbers “would be inconsistent with the Department’s protocols and expectations.”
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I certainly hope they tell their officers.

Edit: in case it is not clear, I am being facetious. The cops already know this and choose to ignore it.
 
M

mr2xxx

Banned
Tragic event but what caused the neighbor to call the cops? Seems like she got a locksmith to open the door instead of trying to break into her own apartment through a window or something. So I'm not sure if there was anything more than scary minority in white neighborhood paranoia going on.
 
C

Chaos17

Member
The Lamp said:
The woman is totally right that this was handled improperly. But I can't understand from the article, did she actually break the lock to her house and enter because she was late to a soccer game? If I didn't know me neighbors well enough, I probably would have reported that too.

That doesn't excuse the behavior or justifications of the police officers, or the lack of professionalism by the Santa Monica Police Department.
Click to expand...

She called a service to lock pick her door, she showed the receipt but the poliman didn't beleived her and forced his way into the appartement.

edit : beaten
 
C

Casimir

Unconfirmed Member
The Lamp said:
The woman is totally right that this was handled improperly. But I can't understand from the article, did she actually break the lock to her house and enter because she was late to a soccer game? If I didn't know me neighbors well enough, I probably would have reported that too.
Click to expand...

She hired a locksmith. If it was a standard deadbolt and the locksmith was competent, I assume they just picked the lock.
 
V

Vanillalite

Ask me about the GAF Notebook
gutter_trash said:
IMO, they should fine people who falsely call 911
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But they didn't false call 911.

That's the thing. The neighbor is an asshole, but that doesn't mean he was in the wrong to call 911.

The problem is police departments overreact to any little thing especially when a minority is involved.
 
N

NimbusD

Member
Police Chief Jacqueline A. Seabrooks released an additional statement. “The 9-1-1 caller was not wrong for reporting what he believed was an in-progress residential burglary,” she wrote. “Ms. Wells is not wrong to feel as she does.”
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Oh thank god we have the Police Chief to tell us what is and isn't wrong.

Part of the problem is that the police separate themselves from the cause and results of their actions. They see themselves as just 'the action' that needs to exist. It's not THEIR fault someone racially profiled someone they didn't know and didn't look into it. They're just following protocol by responding to it. It's not THEIR fault they traumatized (or in other scenarios actually harmed or murdered) the 'suspect'. They're just following protocol.

To them, they're free from criticism because of protocol. And because they're free from criticism, so is protocol. Protocol is completely removed from the context for which it's created for. It's completely disproportionate response for what it's used for, it's completely lacking in it's ability to discern actual danger and who they're supposed to be helping.

Without actually being able to criticize these practices and argue for better ones, you allow the systematic racism that exists outside of the police force to dictate them. Well, the police can't manage racism that exists OUTSIDE of the police force, so there's nothing they can do. Which is, frankly, bullshit. They need to do better, they need to be more discerning and they need to realize that their job is to protect people, not blindly follow protocol that allows them to traumatize and hurt people blindly.

The problem is police departments overreact to any little thing especially when a minority is involved.
Click to expand...

Well I think we should be clear, they're both 'the problem'. The police AND the neighbor are the problem.

The thing is we can only (or at least should be able to) do anything about one of them, and that's the police.
 
D

Dunk#7

Member
Terrible situation that should have never happened

However, when reading the last paragraph I had a thought:

Not long ago, I was walking with a friend to a crowded restaurant when I spotted two cops in line and froze. I tried to figure out how to get around them without having to walk past them. I no longer wanted to eat there, but I didn’t want to ruin my friend’s evening. As we stood in line, 10 or so people back, my eyes stayed on them. I’ve always gone out of my way to avoid generalizations. I imagined that perhaps these two cops were good people, but I couldn’t stop thinking about what the Santa Monica police had done to me. I found a lump in my throat as I tried to separate them from the system that had terrified me. I realized that if I needed help, I didn’t think I could ask them for it.
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Isn't that exactly what cops have done? Make generalizations.

Technically she is now doing the same thing. Maybe she has the right due to the situation, but this is the endless circle that keeps getting worse. Everybody is stereotyping everybody. We all have to stop painting with such a large brush on every situation
 
D

Deleted member 125677

Unconfirmed Member
I’m an attorney, so you can go f— yourself
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At least the neighbor did his best to mend the fences with her afterwards. What an absolute asshole.
 
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