Use of Force: The Policing of Black America (2021) - full transcript

DAVE CHAPPELLE:
This man kneeled
on a man's neck

for eight minutes
and 46 seconds,

can you imagine that?

[Chants of George Floyd]

[Indistinct radio chatter]

[***]

ANCHORWOMAN 1:
Louisville police shot
and killed 26-year-old,

Breonna Taylor
in her apartment

in what her family calls,
“a botched drug raid”.

ANCHORWOMAN 2:
Breonna Taylor was hit multiple
times by gunfire

and died on scene.



ANCHORWOMAN 3:
A 22-year-old,
Stephon Clark

was shot and killed
by the police

in his grandmother's backyard.

However, investigators found no
weapons at the scene,

only an iPhone.

ANCHORWOMAN 4:
Protesters clash with police
over the deadly shooting

of Philando Castile, last
Wednesday.

[Overlapping speech]

[***]

ANCHORMAN 1:
As officers held him down
on the ground...

ANCHORMAN 2:
And they shot and killed him for
it.

[***]

GEORGE FLOYD:
I can't breathe!
I can't move.

POLICE OFFICER 1:
I've been waiting
the whole--



[George grunting]

POLICE OFFICER 1:
Get on-- get in the car!

-GEORGE FLOYD: Mama!
-POLICE OFFICER 1: Get up!

POLICE OFFICER 1:
And get in the car, right.

GEORGE FLOYD:
I can't!

I'm claustrophobic.

-My stomach hurts.
-POLICE OFFICER 1: Ahan.

My neck hurts.

Everything hurts.

[Whimpers]

Get some water
or something.

Please, please!

[Floyd weeping]

MAN 1:
Are you serious?

Bro, are you serious?

And you're gonna keep--
you gonna keep--

you gonna keep here,

you think about his neck?

Are you happy?

MAN 2:
Justice.

CROWD:
No peace.

MAN 2:
No justice.

CROWD:
No peace.

MAN 2:
No justice.

CROWD:
No peace.

MAN 2:
No justice.

We're gonna try today.

We are a physical representation

of our support
for George Floyd.

I'll tell you what freedom
is to me: No fear.

I mean, really no fear.

If I--
If I could have that--

Half of my life, no fear.

That's what children--
have no fear.

That's a closest wa--

That's the only way
I can describe it.

That's not all of it
but it is something

to really, really feel.

CHUCK D: (Narrating)
George Floyd,

a father, a brother,
a son.

Another unarmed black man
killed at the hands

of police.

In the midst of a global
pandemic

and a chaotic presidency,

Americans got to see
the ugly underbelly

of policing communities
of color once again.

The circumstances
are all too familiar,

officers escalating
a situation

when it is not needed.

When I saw the video tape of the
murder of uh,

brother George Floyd.

It filled me with a rage

and it reminded me of when
I saw Oscar Grant's video,

his murder.

It reminded me when I saw
Philando Castile--

It was like,
enough is enough.

But it's been enough.

It's been ridic--

It's be beyond the pale of what
any civilized society

should tolerate.

I think for a lot of us
who have--

who have been involved
in this for a while.

You know, it made us feel like
we were looking

at a lynching.

Now, for people who-- who--
who hadn't slowed

their life down enough
to see that.

I think they were shocked at
what they were seeing.

Incomprehensible.

That-- that-- that something
like that could happen.

I don't know about you
personally,

but I hate to say it, it
reminded me of some

of these older guys that
I worked with at NPD.

It almost seemed as if he...

...enjoyed what he was doing

and you knew that
it was wrong.

Yo, I'm sick to my stomach to
think that--

you know, that something like
that could just happen.

You know, over and over again.

You know, in this like,
you know.

I mean, you don't get
the right to kill somebody.

You don't get the right to abuse
somebody.

But watching the video
of George Floyd's death,

slow and painful, excruciating.

Uh, just was searing for me.

As I know it was for so many
families across the country.

So many--
so many people of all colors

to watch somebody die
in such a callous,

unfeeling way
in slow motion.

To hear him calling out
for his mom,

to say “I can't breathe”,
it's not that he didn't try

to communicate,
he was very clear about

what was happening to him.

And you just--

I think I as-- as millions of
people around the country

and the world, just wondered
what in the world

were those officers thinking

How could they be so careless
about another

human being's life?

MAN 3:
Today I have filed an amended
complaint

that charges former Minneapolis
officer,

Derek Chauvin with murder
in a second degree

for the death
of George Floyd.

Second, today,
arrest warrants were issued

for former Minneapolis officers,

J.A Kueng,

Thomas Lane, and Tou Thau.

I can't watch that video.

I've seen so many murders now on
camera.

What I can tell you is that the
image that is imblazed

in behind my eyelids

is the one, where the officer is
kneeling on his neck

and he's looking directly into
the camera.

And he has his hand
in his pocket as if

he's casually kneeling down to
like, pick up a penny.

Any excuse that may rest in the
conscious of anyone

that may have doubt as to George
Floyd's fault

or participation in anything.

That had no legs to stand on.

Because he was not posing
a threat.

He was there on the ground,
really helpless.

And he still died.

All the times they've--

they've had police killings
on video

And you know that
they've had police killings

that weren't on video.

Uh, you know, there's always
been bigger, worse.

But I think this one has packed
up more powerful punch

because people were
now at home.

You know, with nothing to do.

You know, no distractions.

CHUCK D: (Narrating)
Seeing someone lose
their life

for over nine minutes shakes
the very core

of our humanity.

The disregard of an innocent
life

adds to that despair.

ALICIA:
I think there was a few things
that came into focus

in this moment that have created
the conditions

where we are now.

So, you know for a month
or so prior to

the George Floyd's murder.

We had a lockdown.

People were in their homes,
who could be in their homes.

And connecting with each other
through screens

in a completely different way.

So, that's a part of it, right.

We're starting to see into every
aspect

of people's intimate lives

and also glued
to the television

or to our screens to better
understand

what we can do to protect
ourselves

against a plague,
if you will.

That-- the president was calling
“a liberal hoax”,

from the very beginning.

Then you couple that
with Ahmaud Arbery's murder.

So I think people were already
like--

First of all, how are we just
seeing this and this happened

you know, a month prior to
getting this video.

And the people still haven't
been charged.

And then all this stuff
comes out about them,

about what they believe, right.

And then, of course,
you see this video.

I think what actually happened
is that

there's a muscle memory
that people have now

around police violence
and protest.

So, it's not the first time this
has happened.

And it's not, um, uh.

It's not new to us.

But I think over the last seven
years,

we now have a consciousness that
it's not enough

to just watch it
and be upset about it.

That coupled with four years of
a president

who has literally opened
the sewer grids

and told white nationalists to
come up out of the sewer

and come be a part of our
society.

Be a part of our government.

I think all of those things have
collided in such a way

where people now--
It's not just people

turning up about police
brutality & police violence

You notice like--

you can't spin this story
any other way.

Who comes out when there's
protests, white militias.

Who's driving through crowds in
protests,

white nationalists,

who are unabashed about
their point of view.

And who have the cover of the
federal government.

PRESIDENT TRUMP:
Go home, we love you,
you're very special.

You've seen what happens,
you see the way others

are treated that
are so bad and so evil.

I know how you feel.

My whole life's work, um,
has been about

trying to figure
how do we keep black people

from experiencing
the worst of the system

while we are at the same time
still experiencing

an unbroken history of
white supremacy,

racial hierarchy,
and state violence.

I mean,
I'm part of a black church.

I argued a black church
has 400 years

of receipts.

[Chuckles]

Of dispend, of fighting

against white supremacy
everyday.

Everyday black pope in church
wakes up,

Everyday black folk in church
wakes up,

* I testified,
my mama cried *

* Black people died
when the other man lied *

* See the TV, listen to me,
double trouble *

* I overhaul and I'm coming
from the lower level *

* I'm taking tabs,
sho nuff, stuff to grab *

* Like shirts and it hurts
with a neck to wreck *

* Took a poll 'cause our soul
took a toll *

* From the education
of a TV station *

Hands up, don't shoot!

Hands up--

[indistinct shouting]

Shut 'em down, shut 'em,
shut 'em down

I shut 'em down

Shut 'em down,
shut 'em, shut 'em down

I shut 'em down

Shut 'em, shut 'em,
shut 'em down

I shut 'em down

Shut 'em down, shut 'em,
shut 'em down

I shut 'em down

Shut 'em down,
shut 'em, shut 'em down

I shut 'em down

Shut 'em, shut 'em,
shut 'em down

I shut 'em down

Shut 'em, shut 'em,
shut 'em down

I shut 'em down

Shut 'em, shut 'em,
shut 'em down

I shut 'em down

Shut 'em, shut 'em,
shut 'em down

[indistinct shouting]

[***]

CHUCK D: (Narrating)
The slow murder of George Floyd
forever changed

a city with a history
of excessive use of force.

It changed America,
and it shocked the world.

A nation in crisis.

Our cities have burned.

Lives have been taken.

The voice of the oppressed
rise up when those

voices go unheard.

[***]

So when they say, “Why do you
burn down the community,

why do you burn down
your own neighborhood?”

It's not ours.

We don't own anything!

We don't own anything!

There is-- Trevor Noah said it
so beautifully last night

There's a social contract that
we all have.

That if you steal
or if I steal,

then the person who is the
authority comes in,

and they fix the situation.

But the person who fixes
the situation is killing us!

So the social construct is
broken!

[***]

CHUCK D: (Narrating)
A movement started less than a
decade ago,

takes front stage once again.

It seems like it was
only yesterday

when the streets of America were
filled yp

with similar protests
and outrage

from the killings of
Oscar Grant, Michael Brown,

Philando Castile,
Alton Sterling,

Eric Garner, Stephon Clark,

LaQuan McDonald,
and Sandra Bland.

This time it was different.

But why?

DR. TAFT:
I think there
are a couple of things.

I think the first thing
um, that I would say is

we have a generational devide
or should I say,

a generation of uprise.

If you think about
Trayvon Martin in 2012.

Those teenagers, and um--

Let's say, young people that are
not protesting.

Let's say, if they are
22, 21 years of age.

They were 13 years of age when
that happened.

And they were already accustomed

to being on their devices.

And they probably had questions
then.

And now, after the string of
event from Trayvon Martin to

um Michael Brown,
to Eric Garner,

to Philando Castile

to Walter Scott,
to Jordan Davis--

no to LaQuan McDonald.

You know, the list continues--
Alton Sterling.

The list goes on and on.

At some point, I think as
a 13-year-old

you may ask the questions.

But now, as you begin
to live and--

Maybe your cognitive reasoning
is developing.

You begin to ask questions
because you're outside

of your parents' home.

And now, you're thinking
for yourself.

And so maybe, you're saying that
maybe something

is wrong.

So I think that, there--
there are questions that

are unanswered.

ALICIA:
I didn't know what I wanted to
do in four years

of college.

I was like
“I just wanna help people.

And I wanna, you know,
make my community better.”

So, when I was done
with college, I came home

and decided to make an impact
where I live.

And I learned actually
how to organize

and build power here on
the streets of-- of Oakland.

I started knocking on doors,
uh, talking with people

with an organization that had
initially started by fighting

police brutality
and police violence.

Uh, 10 years of organizing
in San Francisco.

You know, five or six years of
organizing here in Oakland

and at a certain point,
I felt it was important

to get a clear sense
of what the landscape

was nationally.

Uh, it's fine to be a big fish
in a small pond,

but there's a lot you miss

about the way that
the world works

and the way the country works.

I joined an organization

that organizes
domestic workers.

These are women who clean homes,

who care for the people that we
care the most.

My mother and my grandmother did
domestic work.

And um, it was a few short weeks
before I joined that

organization that I helped
create Black Lives Matter.

[Chuckles]

ALICIA:
No, I did not know, that Black
Lives Matter

would become the force that it
is today.

Although, I-- I certainly
wanna say that

it was something that
I wished for but couldn't see

beyond my own faith that it
could happen

and my own determination
that we should try it.

We should try to figure out,
how to create the kind of

movement that could actually
have impact for black folks.

Um, Patrisse, and Opal,
and I,

when we created
Black Lives Matter,

we started building platforms
for people who were angry

about Trayvon being murdered

and his killer being
acquitted.

And we wanted people to do
something more than

be angry on social media.

We wanted people to do more,
than like argue

with each other about
whether or not

it was racist
on social media.

Because at the end of the day,
that kind of liking,

retweeting, sharing,
arguing back and forth

with somebody
you've never met

doesn't change policy,
it doesn't change culture.

It doesn't change
the fact that

mothers all over this country,
um,

are dealing with deep loses as a
result of our failure

to actually deal with,

what it means to keep
our communities safe

uh, and who-- who is responsible
for that.

There have been protests
happening all over the globe,

more protests then the whole
last period of civil race.

And here we are,
and you can't get anybody

at the top of the ticket to
acknowledge that

all around them, people are
turned up about the fact

that black people are being left
out and left behind.

CHUCK D: (Narrating)
There have been many protests
against police brutality

and systemic racism in America's
history.

Some protests were a result
of a community

overwhelmed by the actions
of law enforcement

and the lack of accountability

in the criminal justice system.

ANCHORMAN 3:
The only persons on the streets
of Miami's riot

are police, looters
and torchmen

setting dozens of fires that are
now burning

out of control.

There are people being beaten,
there is looting.

It is a dangerous night
in the city of Los Angeles.

CHUCK D: (Narrating)
Today's protests
have come in many forms.

From everyday citizens taking
to the streets,

to activists launching
social media campaigns.

Modern day athletes have
leveraged their influence

in exercising their right
to protest peacefully,

putting their livelihood
and safety on the line.

I mean, ultimately
it's to bring awareness

and make people now realize
what's really going on

in this country.

There are a lot of things that
are going on

that are unjust,

people aren't being held
accountable for.

And that's something that needs
to change.

That's something that
know this country stands for

freedom, liberty,
justice for all.

And it's not happening for all
right now.

ANCHORMAN 4:
Colin Kaepernick, he actually
told a group of reporters

yesterday that he's received
death threats..

Everybody.

And I mean,
everybody can give back.

It's our duty to help
our neighbors.

Walter Payton Smith,
Tyler, my coach

which in turn ended up having a
stronger impact on me.

Motivated me, to try to have an
impact on the world.

We should all be start to be
more like Walter Payton.

Thank you, God bless.

[Audience cheering
and applauding]

And we grew up in Denver

which is not a predominately
black area.

The one thing I learned
to do at a young age

is I learn that some people are
perceiving me

as dangerous.

So I was taught that,
you know, “Hey,

people might see you
as a threat.”

So, like, I-- I naturally
started putting

on a big smile
as soon as I see anybody.

We flash a smile,
let them know that

I'm a friendly person.

But, you know,
I just I feel like that issue

when it comes to, you know,
police brutality

a lot of it is deep rooted
in the stigma

of what a black person
represents.

The idea of the constitution,
the idea of-- of America

is special.

The problem is, is that America
has never really

lived up to the constitution
as a whole

not for everybody that lives in
America, you know.

And I tell about--

I tell people I'm proud to be
American, you know,

I grew up American
and I have no problem

with being an American.

I wanna be American,
I'm proud to be American.

But America needs to do better
for its people,

you know, and-- and--
and it's a real issue.

[***]

MICHAEL:
Um, when I was a student at
Bible College in 1999,

I was physical and sexually
assaulted by police officers.

So I was a victim of police
brutality

while I was attending Bible
College to be trained

as a minister.

And that trauma, that sexual and
physical trauma

at the hands of the police
officers really forced me

to have to have
my own internal reckoning

with how will I use
my own call

in my mission,
as a-- as a man of God,

as a minister,
as a community leader

to dismantle these systems and
that's what my work

has been for the last
20 or so years.

Well obviously,
after it happened to me

I was devastated,
I was living with my pastor

at the time at in San Jose

and on my way home,
two officers pulled me over,

pulled me out my car,
grabbed my groin area,

did a pretty much strip search
on me with a gun.

Uh, you know, trained on me and
told me if I was black,

they'd throw--

If I was in Alabama in 1950,

they'd throw me
in empty field.

One of ‘em said he was gonna
break my effin' neck.

So, I came out of that
experience with wounds

in my body that
I still see today

from the handcuffs to bruises.

Um, my spirit was deeply broken
and traumatized.

I was asking God why this
happened to me, you know,

I'm out here,

on my way to heaven
and oh, so glad, you know.

But my young people told me um,
in our Bible studies

some weeks later this happened
to them

all the time.

ANCHORWOMAN 5:
In the 50 shot killing
of Sean Bell,

the unarmed man on his wedding
day.

They were seriously wounded in
the hail of gunfire.

The shooting incident sparked
strong reactions

throughout the city,
leading up to--

VALERIE:
Sean was my middle son,

his gift from God
was to play baseball

and also to be electrician.

About, maybe a quarter to 4:00,
I get a phone call

saying,
Sean was in an accident.

So, the first thing
I thought,

okay, maybe a car accident
because he was the driver

in the car.

So I'm jumping up,
getting ready

get to Jamaica Hospital,
that's where I used to work.

And when they escorted me,
I'm seeing a lot of people

outside the hospital.

When they escorted me
to this room in the hospital

I knew, that was a room that was
gonna tell me

something bad has happened
to our son.

Hearing 50 shots
at his car...

ANCHORWOMAN 6:
November 25th, 2006,

as he was leaving his bachelor
party

with two friends.

ANCHORMAN 5:
You have Sean Bell,
he's gonna get married,

they're at a strip club and
there are undercover officers

in the strip club who think they
hear that

someone has a gun.

They go outside and there's like
a confrontation,

Bell's in the car and
50 shots.

VALERIE:
Like I said, that was the most
horrific day,

horrible day of my life.

But I continued!

That day I couldn't believe.

Thinking that the wedding was
supposed to be that night,

7:00 p.m. at La Bella Vita.

Going to the beauty parlor,
still thinking,

I'm going to a wedding.

In void, in disbelief...

...knowing what happened
to my son.

ANCHORMAN 6:
Prosecutors said,
Sean Bell died needlessly

at the hands of reckless
New York City detectives,

but the defense strategy was to
discredit the civilian

eye witnesses, one by one.

To portray the surviving victims
as lying opportunists

and the detectives
as the only honorable,

reliable witnesses.

VALERIE:
During that time,
hearing everything.

April 25th, 2008.

I'm thinking, “Okay,
the judge is gonna say,

guilty, guilty”,

‘cause some things judge said, I
could believe

that was against the officers.

No, after everything
was said and done,

not guilty.

ANCHORWOMAN 7:
Bell's family, the bitterness
over the trial's outcome

will most likely
not fade away anytime soon.

Hundreds of people spent
the day outside

the courthouse
in Kew Gardens today.

Many supporting the family, some
so overcome by

emotion, they collapsed
in the street--

[Overlapping speech]

This sends a message to New York
City police officers,

that when you were in that
position,

when you were on front of that
broad bench,

that you will get fairness.

How do I spell relief?

N-O-T-G-U-I-L-T-Y.

Not guilty.

Judge's DAs, police department
all work

hand in hand.

And that's something that needs
to be stopped.

[***]

CHUCK D: (Narrating)
Driving While Black,
a phrase all too familiar

amongst African Americans.

Deadly traffic stop encounters
between

Black men and women and police
are too commonplace.

These tragic deaths usually end
in the acquittal

of officers,
or no charges at all.

[***]

[***]

[***]

Hello, sir.

Good, how are you?

PHILANDO:
Good.

Uh, reason I pulled you over,
you--

Your brake lights are out.

So you only have one activator--

Active brake light,
that could be your past--

your side one

and your third brake light
which is up here on top.

And then this one back here is
gonna be our.

You have your license
and insurance?

PHILANDO:
Sir, I have to tell you
I do have a firearm on me.

Okay, okay, don't reach
for it then.

PHILANDO:
I'm not pulling it out.

Don't pull it out!

Don't pull it out!

[Philando screams]

CHUCK D: (Narrating)
Philando Castile,

a 32-year-old school
nutritionist

is shot and killed by former
officer Jeronimo Yanez.

DIAMOND:
We got pulled over for a busted
taillight in the back

and the police just--
he's covered

He just killed my boyfriend,

he's licensed, he's carry--
he's licensed to carry,

he was trying to get out
his id and his wallet

out his um, pocket.

And he let the officer know that
he was rea--

He had a firearm and he was
reaching for his wallet.

And the officer just shot
in his arm.

CHUCK D: (Narrating)
His death is filmed
and streamed live

all over the world,

as his girlfriend
and a 4 year-old daughter,

watch him die.

JACKIE:
Philando did nothing wrong.

This man said, I have--
you know, a license to carry

and he went to get his--
his documents

and he's shot five times.

Like, why?

CHUCK D: (Narrating)
Court records dating back
to 2002 showed that

Philando averaged more than
three traffic stops per year.

My name is John Choi,
and I have the great honor

of being able to serve
the people

of Ramesy County Minnesota as
their elected county attorney

which includes the--
the city of St. Paul

and the surrounding suburbs.

I was first elected in 2010
and uh, so, I've been

in office since that time.

In many instances, what I see
happening

in deadly force cases is that
the officer actually

created uh, this situation
by not following

their training.

There are many cases across
America where--

If the officer acted
differently.

If they didn't assume that
everybody around them

was some deadly threat to them.

That we would have very, very,
different outcomes.

You know,
the Tamir Rice case

in Cleveland strikes a chord
where that particular officer

created that situation.

And they didn't have to end up
shooting that boy.

The case in my jurisdiction
involving Philando Castile,

the same thing where he has all
of these assumptions

and he raced towards
using deadly force

when he didn't have to.

Everything was telling him that
he didn't have to.

There was a young child,
a 4-year-old child

in that car.

There was a woman with Philando
Castile in that car.

Why on earth would any human
being shoot an officer

in that particular situation?

And the way that Philando
disclosed

beyond what the law ever
required him to do,

but he said,
“Sir, I have to tell you,

that I d-
I do have a firearm on me.”

He said it that way.

In the most disarming way.

And for some reason,
the officer raced

to the conclusion that
he was about to be shot.

Philando Castile,
if I remember in Minnesota.

I believe he was pulled over 35
or 40 times

and many of those were because
there was a warrant

for his arrest.

Which sounds terrible

But actually the warrant was for
an unpaid court fee.

Yanez, the Minnesota police
officer who fatally shot

Philando Castile during a
traffic stop has been found

not guilty of all three charges
including

2nd degree manslaughter.

ANCHORWOMAN 8:
Jurors found Yanez
was reasonable

in his decision to shoot.

The jury also found him not
guilty in two other counts

of endangering Philando
Castile's girl-friend,

Diamond Reynolds
and her child.

CHUCK D: (Narrating)
Hours after a jury acquitted
Yanez, Philando's mother,

Valerie Castile,
led protesters,

shutting down parts
of the city.

The chant of “Philando,
Philando” rang out

as they marched down
the highway

in the dark of night.

What is it gonna take?

I'm mad as hell, right now.

Yes, I am.

My firstborn one son dead, here
in Minnesota.

Under the circumstances,

just because he was a police
officer

that makes it okay.

Oh, now they got free reign.

He's found innocent
on all counts.

He's shot into a car with
no regards to human life.

And that's okay?

Thank you, Minnesota.

CHUCK D: (Narrating)
Yanez was allowed to resign from
the force,

only to take another law
enforcement job

in another city.

Today's stories are anything
but a recent phenomenon.

FRANK:
I was asked to volunteer as kind
of a statistical

consultant for a state-wide
task force to look

at traffic stops.

And it turns out, the state of
North Carolina

was the first state in the
nation to mandate

collecting data
on every traffic stop.

But nobody had ever
looked at it.

Five years later,
seven years later I think,

we published a book and finally
got our hands around,

it was very difficult
to work with,

but-- well, the initial findings
were that um--

a black man has about twice the
odds of being pulled over

compared to a white man.

And once they're pulled over,
they've got about twice

the odds of being searched after
a routine traffic stop.

And the experience
of an African-American

in North Carolina is,
you know,

it's the four times more likely
just by getting

in the car, that you're--

that that drive down
the street

is gonna lead to a search of the
vehicle.

Now, search of the vehicle
implies that

the police officer has
determined for some reason

in his mind that you-- you pose
a potential threat.

That you are a suspect
in a-- in a--

some kind of criminal
proceeding,

‘cause if you're merely speeding

or you ran through
a stop sign,

that doesn't mean that
the officer needs

to search your car.

It's humiliating,
it's alienating,

it can cost a lot of money.

I mean, there's all kinds
of things that can happen

associated with what
we think of as a routine

traffic stop.

[***]

WAYNE:
Oh, man, I'm scared as hell.

You were just stopped what,
a month ago?

Two months ago?

[Overlapping speech]

Yeah.
I mean, I'm-- I'm just scared

you know, and I'm not--

my license is legit,
my car has ins-- inspected,

I'm not riding dirty.

You know,
but it's just that

thing that goes through you when
you know

you're being stopped.

And you know, he's like,

“Well, why are you
so nervous?”

Why-- why not?

You know, when you--
when you--

when you look
at the news on TV

and see the you know,
things that are going on,

yeah, I'm nervous.

[***]

[***]

New video tonight of an officer
involved shooting

in Vallejo, it is disturbing.

You hear the moment when six
officers open fire

at a Taco Bell Drive-Thru,
killing a local rapper.

MAN 4:
Yo, that's like fucking
seven cops out here.

They just blocked
the Drive-Thru.

OFFICER 1:
Gun, gun!

MAN 4:
The guy over there
doesn't wanna come out,

I don't know why.

OFFICER 1:
There's a gun in his lap.

I'm gonna bust that
fucking window.

OFFICER 2:
Alright, car's locked,
he's passed out,

but the car is in drive,
uh, we need another unit.

Keep your hands in the air!

OFFICER 1:
Hands up, hands up!

ANCHORMAN 7:
And as you see here, here is the
car in the Drive-Thru

during this welfare check.

Police pull in front
and behind the car.

The driver fast asleep
during this time.

And then police realized
he has a gun on his lap.

OFFICER 1:
No, he's not getting up.

He's not up yet.

[Indistinct speech]

POLICE OFFICER 2:
David, we shot fires--

Cross fire, cross fire!

Let me see your hands,
let me see your hands!

Put your hands up!

All officers are okay.

Start code 3 medic.

WOMAN 1: (On radio)
Copied now, medic is en route
code 3 at this time.

All units are okay.

CHUCK D: (Narrating)
Willie McCoy,

a 20-year old
aspiring rapper

is tragically shot and killed by
police

while sleeping in his car.

55 rounds by six officers
surrounding

his car were fired,

killing him instantly.

ADANTÉ:
Murder.

Pure, unequivocal murder.

These are officers who are
supposed to be there

to protect and serve.

So, the-- the lens that they
should be looking

at through is, “What is going on
with this person?

Why are they unconscious?

Is this a medical emergency?"

And if it's not and
the brother just fell asleep

whether he's intoxicated,
he's drunk or whatever

it might be,
or he's tired from work.

I mean, that's also--

[Chuckles]

a way to look at this.

Somebody needs help,
instead they came with

a punitive, criminalistic
perspective which is,

this is a criminal.

And then they can't claim
the idea that there was a gun

which you can't see
in the video

and they claim that
it's a gun.

But before that, what' very
crucial to understand is that

they had already communicated

what their intent was.

If he moves...

[Clicks tongue]

ADANTÉ:
We're taking him out.

CHUCK D: (Narrating)
His death is all too common in a
town

with a notorious record of
police violence

against young Black men
and women.

[***]

More deaths
and shootings against

unarmed black and brown
citizens.

The list goes on and on.

ANCHORMAN 8:
The officers thought
the SUV the pair has just

gotten out of was stolen.

Well, police say they're looking
into what happened,

but deny any kind of
racial profil...

I've been drinking.

Okay.

I don't-- I don't care about-- I
can walk home!

I just don't wanna be in
violation of anybody.

I can walk my-- my sister's
house is right here.

POLICE OFFICER 3:
Why don't you let me take
a breath test for me.

-Yes, I will.
-Okay.

Just wait right here
while I get it.

ALTON'S FAMILY MEMBER:
The individuals involved
in his murder

took away a man with children
who depended upon

their daddy on a daily basis.

ANCHORMAN 9:
Judy Scott,
the victim's mother

clutched a picture of him
in court today.

She turned to Slager
and said, “I forgive you.”

Slager began to cry.

He told the court,
“With my actions that day,

Walter Scott is no longer with
his family

and I am responsible
for that.”

CHUCK D (V.O):
There is a stark difference in
the way that

law enforcement deals with
traffic stops

in other communities

where officers have
de-escalated the situation

or used non-deadly force.

[Overlapping speech]

Ow!

Ow, fuck!

[***]

ANCHORMAN 10:
It's remarkable to see how the
officer remained polite

to the woman even
as she disrespected him.

[Indistinct speech]

CHUCK D: (Narrating)
Black communities historically

have a deep-rooted fear
of being treated unfairly

by police.

ANCHORMAN 11:
Three of the accused officers
were acquitted of all charges

as the jury hopelessly
deadlocked on one charge

of excessive force
on the color of.

MAN 5:
Four policemen did it.

Four policemen violated the law,
let's deal with that.

MAN 6:
The anger is all over this
nation--

If this kind of event could
happen to Rodney King

All of our lives, those of us
who stand here

this morning could have been in
that same position

that he was in.

CHUCK D: (Narrating)
The history of the police
started in colonial times

before the founding
of the United States.

For 400 years black people
have been criminalized

by policing.

Based on America's slavery
past,

slave patrols served as police
for plantation owners.

As America began to form,

laws supporting use of force
were created

and woven into our constitution.

In 1667,
it was written into the law

for the state of Virginia
by Anglican men.

So, Christian men.

Because the debate was

whether slaves
or enslaved Africans

could be proselytize.

Because if they were
proselytized,

it was customary according
to Anglican tradition

that Anglican and Christian
brothers and sisters

could not enslave
one another.

So if that's the standard
of practice

that says, when you come to
enslave Africans,

you don't recognize their
humanity nor do you see

them as, if they are baptized
and welcomed into the faith,

they are not your brothers and
sisters in Christ.

CHUCK D: (Narrating)
Between 1840
and the early 1900s,

policing was under
tight control

of the political elite.

The communities most targeted
by harsh policing tactics

were recent European immigrants.

As African-Americans fled
the horrors

of the Jim Crow south,

they too became the victims
of brutal

and punitive policing
in the northern cities

where they sought refuge.

6 Million black people fled
to northern cities

in the Great Migration

yet the racism
by police continued

based on bias limiting
Black people's civil rights.

My people come here
from Texas,

and from North Carolina

If you were a black
in the Bay Area,

you'd came from South.

Why did you come
from the South?

Because in the ‘40s,
the ‘50s, and the ‘60s,

our parents and grand-parents
were fleeing

the violence
of the Ku Klux Klan

and racist police.

And they got on a train

and took the train to the last
stop

to get as far away from these
white vigilantes

in the South.

And the last stop
was the West--

West Open train station.

That's how a lot of black people
came here

Came here to work on the naval
shipyard in Oakland.

Hunters Point Shipyard.

So black people come here from
the South fleeing

racial violence.

My father grew up in Alabama.

And he had several horrible
experiences with the police.

And he would often
talk about that.

He didn't talk about them
with the hope that

we would hate the police.

He spoke about them to explain
to us

where he came from.

The environment that
he grew up in,

why he left Alabama,
how he came to New Jersey,

and what motivated him to make
sure that his family

would do better.

[Protesters clapping]

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR:
We cannot turn back.

There are those who are asking
the devotees

of civil rights:
“When will you be satisfied?”

We can never be satisfied
as long as the Negro

is the victim of the unspeakable
horrors

of police brutality.

[Protesters clapping]

FRANK:
People who live in poverty
and people of color

have experienced a set of
relations with the criminal

justice system that people
who look like me,

and people who live
in my neighborhood,

and people who have professional
jobs,

and who are white can't even
understand.

We can't even empathize, because
we can't even

possibly conceive of
a police officer

who to me would never be
disrespectful

or unpleasant.

How that police officer
might behave differently

on the other side of town.

Or with a person who fits
a different profile.

This is the stuff that's
been happening for years,

for decades.

And members of the black
community have been saying

that this has been happening.

With the increase in--

in phone cameras,
uh with body cameras

uh, people are seeing the truth,
people are seeing

what black communities
had always known

is that there are a large of
very abusive officers.

And so um, we're finally seeing
the stories that

we've been told.

[Screams]

Back up, back the fuck up!

[***]

[***]

[***]

According to Kentucky law,
the use of force

by Mattingly and Cosgrove
was justified

to protect themselves.

This justification bars us from
pursuing

criminal charges in
Miss Breonna Taylor's death.

Please don't be too nice.

Like when you guys put somebody
in the car

and you're protecting their
head, you know.

The way you put
the hand over...

Like, don't hit their head and
they've just killed

somebody, don't hit their head.

I said, “You can take
the hand away, okay?”

[Crowd cheering]

ANCHORWOMAN 9:
Officer Edward Nero, has
been acquitted of all charges

for his role in the 25-year-old
black man's death.

A police officer was found
not guilty in the shooting

death of a black driver.

VICTIM'S SISTER:
You know, my brother
had no gun, no gun.

Why couldn't you just be
a man and said,

“I made a mistake.”

No mistakes made

If we look at the Laquan
McDonald's shooting,

uh shooting.

In Laquan McDonald,
we saw uh, eventually

that the officer was lying.

That there were lies
in reports.

But the police department hid
that, the government hid that

from the people,
from the defense attorneys.

It required some uh, professors

from the University
of Chicago

to force that material out and
into the public.

CHUCK D: (Narrating)
Today's political climate has
carried on the tradition

of protecting those police
officers

who have been accused of
excessive use of force.

The killing of Breonna Taylor
by undercover police

is another example.

[***]

[***]

RUDY GIULIANI:
Well, as the President
pointed it out

and as we all know
I think, logic.

99% if not more of the police

con-- contact with public
is a-- is a problem.

CHUCK D (V.O):
The policies of local,
state and federal governments

have made policing
harder than ever.

Many young officers join the
force with good intentions.

Some end up poorly trained
and negatively influenced

by their superiors in
a culture of intimidation

and protecting their own.

This results in escalation
between law enforcement

and the communities
they serve.

In Washington DC,
the nation's capital,

where our country's laws are
created,

and democracy and equal rights

under the law are the foundation

of our criminal justice system,

Metropolitan Police Department
is a prime example

of bad training
and a outdated culture.

The agency has had a history
of excessive use of force,

over-policing,
and dehumanizing stop

and frisk policies.

This culture has made it
hard to train

and keep young officers

with the potential to make
a positive change.

My dad was a police officer with
DC for about 30 years.

I was never pushed by him
to become one

but as time went on and I got
older, I-- I decided it was

something that I was interested
in doing.

You know,
when I first started

everyone was kind of motivated
and you know,

we're gonna--

we're gonna do some good here,
but as time went on

there was so much pressure
coming from the top

to get these stats

I mean, we were making
on average 8 to 10 arrests

a day and we worked
five days a week.

Sean Lojacono has been fighting
to keep his job

as a DC police officer.

Today we learned DC Police
aren't having it.

You may remember this video,

we first showed you
last year.

RADIO DISPATCHER:
38, 56.

[Overlapping speech]

Why are you grabbing
my shit?

Come on, man.

[Overlapping speech]

BYSTANDER:
Yeah, don't do that.

SEAN:
You see the video
and you're like,

“What the hell is this,
this is horrible.”

That's how I learned to search
like that

it was from the officers,
because you know,

as a rookie officer
you're very timid,

so when you get out
on a street,

you're searching people.

You don't really get that much
training

on how to search.

In fact, I made the argument in
my trial board.

There was no simulation

for how to conduct
a proper search.

You know, it was basically like,
there's no wrong

or right way to do,
just make sure it's thorough.

It's not like I take
pleasure in that.

If they didn't keep it there,

I-- I-- I wouldn't search it,
I wouldn't search there.

But, uh, you know,
unfortunately, that's--

that's the nature of the beast
when it comes to drugs

and drug dealing.

Um, because they know
most officers

don't wanna check there,

because it's a very
uncomfortable private spot.

Obviously, as you saw
from the video,

he was very uncomfortable
and felt very violated

and uh, you know,
we ended up leaving,

he didn't get arrested.

And he filed a complaint.

We're tired of being harassed
every single day,

because you think...

I'm talking about
the officers here.

...you think that
there's more going on.

Then what's going on?

There's nothing going on,
but a group of guys enjoying

their community.

It was investigated
by the department

and I was in-- I was cleared
for that incident.

I-- believe it or not,
they-- they gave me a--

what's called,
“a Letter of Prejudice.”

It's a small corrective action
letter,

basically saying,
“Hey, you know,

you should've done better, and
you should've--

you should've just arrested him
for drinking in public.

So--

[Chuckles]

Not only did they say, “Hey
everything about that search

was okay, but

you shouldn't have used
your discretion

and you should have arrested him
for some petty

little offence.”

REPORTER 1:
Although, Lojacono was
disciplined for this search,

the department ultimately moved
to fire him

for a second similar search

caught on body-worn
camera video

but not publically available.

Lojacono's defense argued
the department's

decision to fire him
was a knee jerk reaction

to the public outrage over that
viral cell-phone video

we first showed you
a year ago.

The attorney telling
the panel, they understand

the department's position,

but Lojacono should
not be the fall guy.

I mean I was, you know,
certainly stunned.

Um, caught off guard for sure
and uh, felt--

felt very betrayed
by the department.

For sure.

It's probably not
the popular answer, but

I stand by
what I did on that day.

That's how I was trained
and if I was told differently

I-- I-- I would be
the first person

to do it differently.

If this is a problem,

what steps have you taken to
rectify the fact that

there are dozens of people now,
sitting in jail

on drug charges as a direct
result of my searches

which have been consistent
across the board

and you're--
you've now decided that

that's an improper search.

So, to me that's signaling all
of those cases

should be re-looked at.

There is this thing that we call
the proximity rule.

And what it means is that the
person that is closest

to the error, or the thing that
is closest to the error

normally gets blamed
for-- for-- in totality.

Uh, I have to dispute that,
because what ends up

happening and what we know
to be true,

is that the officer
is usually a result

of a lot of problems that went
wrong

and now that is being acted out
in that

officer's performance.

The training of police officers

whether it was
military police officers,

when I was an army prosecutor

or the many, many,
law enforcement officers

and agencies I worked with as a
federal prosecutor in D.C.

And it's not just

the Metropolitan Police
Department, MPD.

They are the local crime
fighters in the district

and you know, different agencies
I think um,

have different abilities when it
comes to training

their officers.

I've seen the good,
the bad, and the ugly.

Just like most of the police
officers I worked with

in my career were good, they
took their oath seriously.

They were there
to protect and serve.

But boy, the bad ones.

You know,
I've always said it,

it's not like one bad apple

that you can pick out
of a barrel

and enjoy the rest
of the apples.

It's like-- it's like
a drop of poison

in a pot of chili.

CHUCK D: (Narrating)
Becoming a police officer has
long been considered

a noble and selfless profession.

Police officers have been held
in high esteem,

however, over time that
has changed.

Policing today has become more
dangerous

and challenging.

Putting their lives at risk,

we have seen police officers'
heroic efforts

time and time again.

The work of police has helped
keep many communities safe.

ANCHORMAN 12:
Phoenix police officers just
respond just moments

after a man crashes into
a tree and is trapped inside

his burning SUV.

ANCHORWOMAN 10:
A Texas police officer
who used to work

in the Houston area
is a survivor

of the Las Vegas shooting.

A piece of shrapnel struck his
hand.

ANCHORMAN 13:
But that did not stop him from
saving lives.

ANCHORWOMAN 11:
Started on Sunday, there was
someone reporting that

a man was threatening to jump

But News6 reporter Clay LePard
spoke with the deputy

and they were-- bring
that man down safely.

ANCHORMAN 14:
Tonight, new video of
Denver Police responding

to a “shots fired” call
when one officer is hit

that wounded officer is dragged
behind a car

as a fellow officer stands watch
with a rifle.

But seconds later,
the suspect opens fire again.

The second officer
goes down.

Police returned fire.

ANCHORMAN 15:
Watch, how the officer
who first sees the gun,

has the presence of mind to fall
backwards

out of harm's way
while keeping his firearm

trained on asking.

He squeezes the trigger several
times.

You want help?

Here I am, in front of you.

No coincidences.

I'm here to help you.

I'm gonna step down.

I'm not trying--

I'm not fittin'
to rush you at all.

I just wanna--

Come here, man.

ANCHORMAN 16:
That's when all hell
breaks loose.

No!

He pulls a gun
on the officer.

[Screaming]

She begged for her life.

POLICE OFFICER 4:
No!
No, please don't shoot me!

ANCHORMAN 17:
An officer pursues,
the man with the machete

then turns back and starts to
chase the officer.

POLICE OFFICER 4:
Hey, don't do it!
Don't do it!

ANCHORMAN 17:
As the man pushes forward,
the machete still in hand.

The officer runs into the
street, trips and falls

with the armed man standing over
him.

Several other officers
open fire.

[***]

CHUCK D: (Narrating)
The demands of the job
are stressful.

Long shifts, encounters
with violent offenders,

it can be a thankless job.

Growing up, uh,

my interactions with police
officers have changed.

I've had the opportunity to make
some really good friends

You know, we go on the road.

And uh, we travel
with police officers.

I've had a lot of good
conversations with--

with officers and I--

I try to understand just how
hard their job--

when you are tasked
with a force of protectin'

and servin'.

You're gonna go on
and face some danger

and you have to always
be ready, because

they have families--
they have--

they are regular people.

You know,
they have a tough job.

But then, you know,
looking back

on some of the videos
and things that happened

And uh, and I'm just thinking
myself like, “How--

How does that happen?”

You know, uh, uh,
like a Walter Scott video.

My man is running away,
he was shot at the back.

To me, I feel like a cop,
his main job is to

make sure that environments are
safe

and that's a-- that's a tough
duty and that's great.

But my man gets pulled over
for a tail light

and you know, there is
interaction

and all we know
what we see on the video.

And we see him running away
and he gets shot in the back.

You know, multiple times.

And it's like, Well--

I think the court system should
have some say

in this.”

I think that whatever he did
wrong, could have the chance

to go in front of the jury
and be held at trial

and let the court system,
you know do what it does.

Now, a lot of times,
the court system

has failed black people
as well.

But I rather be failed
by the court system than

be shot in the back.

There has to be like--
When is force necessary?

JONATHAN:
So, I wanted to become
a police officer,

because when I was
a young uh, teenager, I--

I recall sitting on the front
steps of my home

with my-- my brother.

Uh, and we were-- we lived
on a very quiet street.

But with-- within earshot,

was pretty busy street,
you know.

Majority African-American
neighborhood.

Uh, we had seen, you know.
the police frequently

in our neighborhood.

But on this particular day,
our friends were walking

down the street.

Uh, they passed our house
and we saw them wave

and you know, nothing--
No greater conversation

than that.

But shortly after
they passed us,

A police car uh,
pulled up on them.

Police car pulled up on them.

Got out of the--
Officers got out of the car.

They were two white officers.

Began to verbally abuse
my friends,

my brother and I,
and my cousins

actually were with me,
too.

We were staying there trying to
figure out

what was going on.

Uh, as the conversation
continued with the police

and-- and my friends.

Uh, we could see that everyone
was agitated

up to a point where the police
officer slapped

and assaulted my friends.

Now I'm sitting there
with my cousins-- my cousins

and my brother and we felt
completely powerless.

So we watched this interaction.

And it ended up where no one got
arrested,

The-- the-- our friends
weren't placed in the car

and the police left
the scene.

But it left this indelible mark
on me.

Looking at the situation, again
feeling powerless

for my self,
but also feeling that

I couldn't do anything
to uh-- to help my friends.

I recalled at that point that
my father in the driveway

a little bit further up
working on the car.

So I ran to him and I had tears
in my eyes.

And I said, “Dad, I have to tell
you what just happened.”

And I went through
the whole story

and I explained to him what went
on and--

and the friends getting slapped

and the powerless feeling
and I said to him that

somebody's gotta do
something about this.

And my father at that point was
working on the car,

was fixing the oil and he--
and he slowly closed the hood

and he wiped the oil
off his hands

and he looked at me
and he said,

“When God gets you
to the point

where you feel that someone has
to do something about it,

you are the someone
and the something,

well, that's for you
to figure out."

At that point, I knew that
I had to go

to the police department.

And in my mind I thought
I could fix all the ills

of a bad police performance
by joining

the police department.

But I knew at that point that
that's what I needed to do.

CHUCK D: (Narrating)
Today's police force looks very
different

from one of decades ago.

There is more diversity
in its ranks,

more leaders
who are black and brown.

Many of them call to make
a change in their community.

While cities across America
struggle with reform,

some communities and law
enforcement leaders

have started to embrace
the changes being called for.

CHIEF BISA:
We really have to focus
on culture internally

in the police department.

You can bring all the diversity
into the department

that you want, but if you have a
culture

that's not inclusive,
it really doesn't matter,

you're gonna have the same kind
of, you know--

You're gonna have the same
culture

that you've already had
and you're gonna--

you know, people are gonna do
the same thing that

they've already done.

Our focus here at the Richmond
Police Department

has been um, building
relationships,

with the community, because
that's how we feel like

we can prevent crimes
and solve crimes

when they do happen.

We look at policy and really
look at what the community

is asking of us and make sure
that our policies

and procedures reflect that.

So, we have kind of
a different community

policing model then a lot of
other departments

in which everything we do
is community pleasing,

not just a program or you know,
a-- a few officers.

It's difficult to bring people
of color

into this profession, especially
with everything

that's going on.
Just not-- not--

Not just now, but really over
the last five plus years

with, you know, Ferguson
and all the other departments

so, you know, how do I tell
somebody that looks like me

to, “Oh, come join”, and then
they come to you know,

a department or you know,
like the departments

all across the-- the nation that
are predominantly white

or have a lot of,
you know, officers

that are not of color--

And um, you know, how do
I tell you, “Yes, come work,

we're gonna do great things'.

and we're gonna do
great things”.

in the community.

And you have the unique ability
to connect,

but they don't wanna see
themselves as wearing

this uniform because
they know

what the representation is,

they know that the history
of systemic oppression

by people that wear
this uniform.

And while there's many of us
that wear this uniform

that look like me

have not participated
in that, we know that

the history of
our profession has.

And so that's difficult
to overcome.

It's-- it's difficult for
those of us

who do wear this uniform

to reconcile with that fact
that, “Yeah, we're a part of

this system that has oppressed
our communities”.

Um, but there's also the
opportunity to change that

How can we change that
moving forward?

What can I do now
as a chief of police

to put in policies
and practices

within my organization,
so that we no longer have

that system of
oppression here

in the city of Richmond?

[***]

CHUCK D: (Narrating)
Smart phone and body camera
technology

have captured the many instances

of excessive use of force
that people

in black and brown communities
already knew.

Social media has amplified
and exposed these crimes.

Without these tools,
making police

and prosecutors more accountable

to the public would remain
in the shadows.

America, with all its power,
wealth, and knowledge,

has the ability to turn around a
centuries' old issue

that can forever bring
our communities together.

The killing of black men
and women

during traffic stops needs
immediate solutions.

DR. TAFT:
The cameras don't lie.

And I think that the advent of
social media

of putting it on the homes
um, and on the devices,

because people live
on the devices now

It's not anything
you can escape,

it's not anything
you can hide.

I think that there are some
positivity that

comes with that.

I do feel though,
at the same time, um,

that if people are want
to make a change-- and it's--

it's always kind of funny
because you really can't tell

anyone how to feel
or how they should protest

or what they should do because
you really don't know

what happens with them or what
they have experienced.

I do think some other strategies
could be applied

and that protest
is just one form,

a one part of the solution,
um, but there are other

approaches that may be
necessary as well.

The public has a feeling that
when they tell us

that they want us to increase
transparency

that we understand it from what
they're saying.

But what we understand it
for what they're meaning,

and what they mean is that,
they don't actually trust us.

They want to see that what we're
doing matches

what we're saying.

So body cameras uh, and the
proliferation of body cameras

throughout law enforcements has
been extreme.

And I think
it's a good thing.

We want to show the public that
we're not only

have integrity with our report
writing

and our actions, but we want to
be able to prove that.

But not only to defend
ourselves,

we wanna look-- take a look at
body cameras in a way

that I don't think they've been
used--

utilized well enough and that is
as a performance

management measure.

We'd like to be able
to take a look at what

officers are doing
to determine

if their performance matches our
expectations.

If it does,
then that's great.

We should commend them

We should let them know that
they're doing a great job.

If it doesn't, what we don't
wanna do is

just look for them doing
something bad.

We wanna ma-- we want to
obviously take a look at

some of those pre-incident
indicators to behavior

to see if we can sort of stop
them along the way.

Send them in a right direction.

Send them--
Give them better guidance.

And more importantly,
sit the officer down

and have them look
at their performance.

It's amazing what will happen
when you tell a person that,

“Listen, I don't-- I don't think
you did the right way.”

For a law enforcement
officers,

because we are so used to people
combating us

our initial reaction is going to
be, "I didn't do that,

I did it right."

The ability to see yourself in
action, to see that

maybe you took a left turn
when you should've taken--

taken a right turn.

And it allows you to--
to understand that

we're not out here trying
to hurt you that

the executives within the agency
and the supervisors

are there to improve
performance,

ultimately hoping
to improve service delivery

to the public.

ROY:
Body cameras are not
a panacea.

I mean, the panacea would be to
stop the abuse

in the first place.

Uh, and the problem with body
cameras is that

there are no generalized rules.

That every department
does it their own way.

If we look at the
Laquan McDonald's shooting,

In Laquan McDonald,
we saw,

eventually that the officer was
lying.

But that went on
for a year or so.

So sometimes they just--
they know what's on there,

they know it's bad and they
refuse to release it.

You know, I'm not gonna give
them the excuse to--

There's too much video
to look at.

They don't have time
to look at it,

they don't have the resources to
look at it.

We give our law enforcement
agencies

an enormous amount of money.

It's how they decide
to use it.

You know, they prefer
to use it to buy new toys,

then it is to investigate
allegations of misconduct.

CHUCK D: (Narrating)
As the world reckons
with what policing

looks like today,

reimagining 21st century
policing has been the call

to action by citizens,

politicians, and law enforcement
leaders.

There should be a social
contract between

the community and the people um,
who are served by

the law enforcement
and law enforcement to ensure

that there was a meeting
of the minds.

And what are the tools that
you're using,

so for example, when President
Obama

was in office,
we stopped the practice

of giving military style
equipment to local

law enforcement.

Believing that that only
escalates the situation.

And one of the other
recommendations

in the report was to encourage
law enforcement

to get out of their car.

Well, first of all,
the higher local enforcement

from the community.

So they know who are the leaders
in the community.

And that encouraged them
to get outside of their cars,

walks the street,
go into the schools,

let people see them when there
isn't a crisis,

so that they build relationships

And that is the foundation
of bond of trust.

You can't get people
to co-operate with you

if there are crimes
in a community.

If they don't think the people
are gonna

be treated fairly.

And so it actually impedes law
enforcement's ability

to do their job.

GLENN:
Community policing
is a great concept,

because when the officers know
the communities

that they are expected
to police.

And when they are interacting
with the folks every day,

not just when something
goes wrong,

but when everything
is going right,

when things are
calm and quiet.

That's going to build important
relationships.

I had a interesting conversation
with um,

someone that I would consider
to be a friend,

and he said to me that

when we were
in Seminary School.

He was intimidated by me because

I destroyed his narrative

of what an African-American male
is.

He grew up in South Carolina,
just like me.

And he had a certain vision, a
certain image

of what a black man was.

I upset all of that.

And then he began to say,
“You know, I would love

to invite you to
my congregation

and I would, you know,
so if Lord praises on you

before you know,
coming out of Hartsville,

South Carolina.

And I said, “Hold on, sir.”

I said, “Don't do that.

Because if you look at me
as an anomaly,

because of my education and what
I've been able to do.

What you're doing is now
creating a cycle

where you see me differently
from any other

African-American man,
and that's the problem.

What you need to do
is see my humanity,

just like you see
anyone else's humanity.”

CHUCK D: (Narrating)
More and more,
citizens are coming up

with tech solutions,
products and services

that are helping address
the issue.

There are those already
at the forefront

of this effort,

trying to make
communities safer.

JACKIE:
Not Reaching is a vehicle
identification pouch,

it holds your license,
registration, and insurance.

It clips to your
driver-side air vent,

so when an officer comes to your
car during

a traffic stop,
you do not have to reach.

Officers have said that this is
what makes them nervous

and escalates
their traffic stops.

So, on July 6th of 2016,

I'm at-- we're at home
celebrating

our son's 38th birthday
and Valerie Castile

is in Minnesota,
losing her son

to a routine traffic stop.

And that was the day,
I said, “That's it.

We have to come up
with a solution.

There has to be something
out there.”

So after interviewing police
officers,

they all said the same thing.

What is it that makes you
nervous during

a traffic stop?

They all said, reaching.

And that's how we came up with
Not Reaching,

not knowing two years later,
I would find out

that Philando's last words
before he died were,

“I wasn't reaching.”

Our policing system, sir,

are out of control.

They are not regulated,
there is not the appropriate

accountability measures.

If every time an officer
interacts with

a community member,
there is a risk that

that community member
could end up dead.

And there's never accountability

for that officer.

You are never going to be able
to have the kind of

safety that you
are talking about.

We have a filing crime rate of
approximately

300 to 400 people every year,
across administrations.

And that's what it's looked like
for years, and years,

and years.

Dumping money into criminal
justice.

What if we move that money into
building people up

instead of tearing people down?

Because the current system
just isn't working

We don't have the greatest
criminal justice

in the world.

We shouldn't be locking up more
people than

pretty much every single country
in the world.

We shouldn't be destroying black
lives

and black communities,
and the Latino lives

and Latino communities.

So what do we have to lose
by actually doing

something different

That actually makes common
sense.

The American people can't have
confidence

in the police force,
when you have

the Eric Garners,
and the Philando Castiles,

and the George Floyds,

and--
you could name,

how many names?

Dozens, hundreds, thousands of
names.

So, when I see congress taking
up things like

banning choke holds,
well, that's wonderful.

But that's like putting
a Band-Aid

on a gaping chest wound.

What I think needs to be done,
based on what I saw

in my 30 years
as a prosecutor,

is the kind of intense, systemic
reform

that partners the police
with those being policed.

The Gen-Z'ers and gen uh-- and
the millennials

have a certain respect
for humanity.

That I think may be a little
different

from, you know,
prior generations.

Given George Floyd's case,

people saw him as a human being
for the first time.

It's sad that he has
to be recognized

as a human being, when he
is in a helpless state,

because he should be respected
as one

as he was walking
and all of this

over a supposed counterfeit
$20 bill.

Imagine a room filled
with 13 to 17 year old

students of color, brainstorming

how they can use technology to
make a positive impact

to their community.

My first introduction into the
world of technology

was a Kino Live Tech Phone.

But there was a question,
that was posed at me

at that event.

It was, “Could an app have saved
Trayvon Martin?”

Uh, I created Cop Stop in 2015.

It was born out of the idea that
we need to figure out

how to alleviate this
overwhelming sense

of anxiety that black folks get
and other folks

of color get,
when you're talking

to an officer after he or she
pulls you over.

It's ridiculous that you can
feel like you're frozen

you know, that these folks that
you're supposed to call

after anything happens.

Uh, that you-- you feel like,

they're ready to kill you,
you know.

So, I had to figure out
some like--

some step in the right direction

to create a solution for it.

Um, I was invited by
the chief of police to give

a presentation on Cop Stop.

Uh, my experience
with officers,

why I felt there was a need
for the application,

and how the officers can use it
to regulate

their own behaviors and keep
themselves accountable.

At the same time,
it was how community members

are gonna use it for their own
safety.

And I can definitely share
I was nervous.

Like I was scared, ‘cause
it was my first time speaking

to a group of officers um,

about an app called
“Cop Stop”

and I'm black.

That opportunity was really,
really eye-opening,

because that happened--

that happened
when I was 15 years old.

From all of the workshops and
projects that I've done,

they all stem from the same idea
of defining

your own reality.

I practiced that through
technology creation.

We can use technology
as a platform to build

an educational system
without the influence

of white supremacy.

[Applause]

I know its uncomfortable,
but if you've been waiting

for someone to tell you,

it's time to keep questioning,

let it be me.

Curiosity doesn't always
lead to death.

In truth, it can be the
strongest catalyst

for change.

Thank you.

[Audience cheering
& applauding]

We've pleaded, we've prayed,
we've worshipped,

we've begged,
we've marched,

And it can't-- It does not
appear to resonate, right.

With-- with large numbers
of white Americans

that race relations
is their problem to solve

I think, that people need
to take a deep breath

and they need to start having
conversations like this

to really understand
everybody's viewpoint.

In the future,
I hope I don't have to see

video after video of police
disrespecting, dehumanizing

and hurting, killing,
and injuring folk on the

It's gonna take mayors
and police chiefs

who are committed
to recognizing that

there is a problem.

Not-- not trying to pretend
it doesn't exist.

It does exist!

It is a real emphasis
on the getting

our white counterparts to at the
very least

understand that these things are
real for us.

It's time now uh,
that we really need to the--

to listen to the voices

of those who have the worst
assumptions about

the justice system,

the worst assumptions
about policing.

America to have justice
for all.

Don't think of a person's color,

think of them being a human.

They'll treat a dog better

than they'll treat
a human being.

Members of jury, I will now
read the verdicts

as they will appear
on the permanent records

of the fourth judicial district.

We, the jury, in the above
entitled manner

as to count one,

unintentional
second degree murder

while committing a felony,

find the defendant guilty.

[Crowd cheering]

* Trust me if you can understand
*

* It's a new day*

* Life is real, but we still
gotta get paid*

* Take it back
to the simple things*

* Like level out the
Fuck the bullshit games*

* Stand up to a man*

* Yes, I can take my place*

* Don't let that chess play
fool ya*

* Put your picture
in a frame*

* It's time to step
into this double Dutch game*

* And just stand up
for something*

* Don't fall back
for nothing*

* If we don't stand for
something*

* We'll fall for anything*

* Life is passing by*

* And it's not gonna sit right*

* When you witness
the truth*

* But then believe the lies*

* I'm a mama*

* Freedom fighter *

* I'm a queen*

* But if I don't speak up*

* And tell you
what it means*

* And while justice keeps on
fading away*

* Even fear keep on
making mistakes*

* Police against the citizens *

* The troops against the youth*

* And what am I*

* Those things will tell me what
we're gonna do*

* Oh, oh, oh*

* Just stand up
for something*

* Don't fall back
for nothing*

* If we don't stand for
something*

* We'll fall for anything*

* Just stand up
for something*

* Don't fall back
for nothing*

* If we don't stand
for something*

* We'll fall for anything*

* Dream makers,
heart breakers*

* F reedom fighters*

* Not you haters*

* True believers,
motivators*

* To rise up now*

* Yeah, there's a new day, right
outside your door*

* If you open it*

* And see what's in store*

* Yeah, there's a new day, right
outside your door*

* If you open it*

* You'll see
what's in store*

* Oh*

* Just stand up
for something*

* Don't fall back
for nothing*

* If we don't stand for
something*

* We'll fall for anything*

* Just stand up
for something*

* Don't fall down,
oh, oh, oh*

* If we don't stand
for something*

* We'll fall for anything*

[***]

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