White Cop Shouts At Black Suspect: 'Pretend Like We're Going To Shoot You'
Video of a white Texas cop making a racially insensitive remark to an unarmed black woman has gone viral on social media.
In video of the Saturday incident, which you can watch below, a bystander records a group of Houston cops with weapons drawn surrounding a small SUV.
Around the 2:24 mark, after ordering two people out of the vehicle, a white officer tells a black woman in the back seat to step out and raise her hands above her head. When the woman apparently doesn’t raise her hands to his satisfaction, the officer makes what could be construed as a threat.
“Pretend like we’re going to shoot you,” the cop yells over a loudspeaker at about 2:37.
“Why would you say that?” the woman filming wonders aloud.
The last passenger to exit the vehicle appears to be injured and can be seen using a crutch to limp toward the officers. When he finally reaches them, an officer grabs the crutch and tosses it aside.
At the end of the video, which lasts about six and a half minutes, an officer is seen driving off in the SUV. It’s not clear why the vehicle didn’t get towed, as is typical in such situations.
In an era of increased scrutiny of police shootings ― especially those involving white cops and black Americans ― the officer’s choice of words is troubling.
“There is no excuse for such threatening statements, particularly given the high number of unjustified police shootings... and the fact that the woman appears to be complying,” Andre Segura, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, told HuffPost. “The officer’s statement demonstrates a disregard for the sanctity of the lives of those whom our police officers are sworn to protect.”
Contacted by HuffPost on Tuesday, the woman who filmed the video said she’s afraid to discuss it and asked that her name not be used.
“The news media has used my name and possibly put me in danger with the police,” she said. “I’m afraid that they may retaliate against me in some way.”
Authorities have not released the name of the officer who made the disturbing remark or the names of the individuals who were in the vehicle.
In a statement, Houston police Chief Art Acevedo said the officers were conducting a felony stop on a suspected stolen vehicle.
“During the stop, the officers followed tactics and procedures designed to take suspects into custody in a manner that maximizes safety for both officers and suspects,” Acevedo said. “While the tactics used were consistent with policy, the phrase in question is not consistent with the expectations of the Houston Police Department.”
Segura said Acevedo should have indicated what, if anything, the department is doing to address the incident.
“While we appreciate Chief Acevedo’s quick acknowledgement... we urge [Houston police] to immediately investigate and take steps to ensure that this does not reoccur,” he said.
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Tanisha Anderson: Died Nov. 13, 2014, age 37, Cleveland
The 37-year-old died after her mother called 911 while Anderson was having a "mental health episode," as described in the family's subsequent lawsuit against city police. Officials say that when officers tried to take Anderson to a treatment facility, she struggled and then went limp. Her family says police slammed her to the ground and put a knee in her back. A medical examiner ruled Anderson’s death a homicide, the result of being "physically restrained in a prone position by Cleveland police." Her heart condition and bipolar disorder were also considered factors.
The Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Department began investigating the incident in July at the request of the prosecutor’s office.
In a wrongful death lawsuit, Anderson's family alleges that CPD Officers Scott Aldridge and Bryan Myers did not provide medical attention to Anderson as she lay on the ground unconscious.
Aldridge had previously been suspended for violating the department's use-of-force policies, according to Northeast Ohio Media Group, and was disciplined in 2012 for his role in the deaths of Malissa Williams and Timothy Russell (see slide #6 in this collection). Aldridge and Myers deny that they caused Anderson’s death and have asked for the case to be dismissed.
The month after Anderson was killed, an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice concluded that Cleveland police have a pattern of using excessive force, including against people who are mentally ill, and that they don’t use appropriate techniques to account for mental illness.
Mauvion Green, Anderson’s daughter, told Northeast Ohio Media Group last year that she wants to work for conscientious treatment of people with mental illnesses. "I'm fighting for my mother, but I'm fighting for everyone else, too," Green said.
Yvette Smith: Died Feb. 16, 2014, age 47, Bastrop, Texas
Willis was fired, and his record came under scrutiny. An evaluation from a past employer said that he needed “more development in handling explosive situations" and "utilization of common sense."
Following a grand jury indictment for murder, Willis was tried in September. A mistrial was declared when the jury deadlocked 8-4 in favor of finding Willis guilty. The prosecutor on the case told KXAN the prosecution would retry the case and wouldn’t consider a lesser charge.
Smith’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit in 2014.
"A part of me is gone, you know, and I wish I could have that back, but I can't," Yvonne Williams, Smith’s twin sister, told KVUE last year. "I just want justice for her."
Miriam Carey: Died Oct. 3, 2013, age 34, Washington, D.C.
![U.S. Secret Service and Capitol Police officers fatally shot Miriam Carey in a car chase after she drove her car into a security checkpoint near the White House despite orders to stop. Officers fired multiple shots at Carey, a dental hygienist from Connecticut, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/08/miriam-carey-autopsy-dc-chase_n_5109397.html" target="_blank">hitting her five times</a>. Her 1-year-old daughter, who was also in the car, survived.<br /><br />An autopsy found that Carey was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol, her family's attorney said, and no weapons were found in her car. She had previously been diagnosed with <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/08/miriam-carey-autopsy-dc-chase_n_5109397.html" target="_blank">postpartum depression and psychosis</a>.<br /><br />Federal prosecutors said in 2014 that they <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/10/miriam-carey-shooting-investigation_n_5575043.html" target="_blank">would not file charges</a> against the officers. Carey’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit.<br /><br />“<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/style/2014/11/26/how-miriam-careys-u-turn-at-a-white-house-checkpoint-led-to-her-death" target="_blank">The emphasis shouldn’t be on why [Miriam was in Washington, D.C.]</a>," sister Valarie Carey told The Washington Post last year. "The emphasis should be [on] what those officers did. Were their actions proper?”](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/KObuIBnKquAX1LMkXLXDZg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MA--/https://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset/567a397a160000b300eb97db.jpg)
An autopsy found that Carey was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol, her family's attorney said, and no weapons were found in her car. She had previously been diagnosed with postpartum depression and psychosis.
Federal prosecutors said in 2014 that they would not file charges against the officers. Carey’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit.
“The emphasis shouldn’t be on why [Miriam was in Washington, D.C.]," sister Valarie Carey told The Washington Post last year. "The emphasis should be [on] what those officers did. Were their actions proper?”
Shelly Frey: Died Dec. 6, 2012, age 27, Houston
Campbell reportedly told investigators that he opened fire after the driver of the car tried to run him over. Two other women and two children were in the car with Frey. When paramedics arrived, they were unable to revive her.
Frey had previously pleaded guilty to stealing shirts and meat from Walmart, according to Houston's KHOU, and was prohibited from entering the store.
Her family sued Walmart for wrongful death. Campbell has not faced any charges.
Malissa Williams: Died Nov. 29, 2012, age 30, Cleveland
Williams and Russell, who both had criminal records, were unarmed.
Six officers were indicted in the car chase. Officer Michael Brelo was charged with manslaughter, and five supervisors were charged with dereliction of duty. Brelo -- who allegedly fired 49 shots at the vehicle, 15 of them from atop the hood of the car itself -- was tried earlier this year and found not guilty on all charges, including two counts of voluntary manslaughter, attempted voluntary manslaughter and felonious assault.
"They did not deserve to die for fleeing and eluding," Michelle Russell, Timothy's sister, told Northeast Ohio Media Group.
Five police supervisors are awaiting trial on charges of dereliction of duty. The city settled a wrongful death lawsuit with the victims' families for $3 million in 2014.
"This shooting is one of the worst examples of police misconduct in American history,'' attorneys for Williams' and Russell's families said at the time. "This settlement sends the clearest signal yet that real reform must be achieved inside the Cleveland Police Department."
Shantel Davis: Died June 14, 2012, age 23, New York City
![Shantel Davis was fatally shot while driving a car that police claim was stolen. Plainclothes NYPD officers approached her after she allegedly ran multiple red lights and the vehicle crashed. Police say that Davis tried to escape, and that Phil Atkins, a narcotics officer, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/15/nyregion/woman-shot-by-police-in-brooklyn-after-car-crash.html" target="_blank">allegedly tried to shift her car into park as it was moving</a>. His gun fired once, striking Davis in the chest.<br /><br />Davis' family and <a href="https://socialistworker.org/2012/06/21/nypd-kills-again" target="_blank">several groups</a> advocating for <a href="http://www.justicecommittee.org/#!Shantel%20Davis%20killed%20by%20NYPD%206/2012/zoom/ckbg/i21v7r" target="_blank">police reform</a> have disputed the NYPD's version of events, saying it's not clear whether the car was stolen and, if it was, whether Davis was aware of that. They also claim Davis was trapped behind her airbag when she was shot, not trying to flee the vehicle.<br /><br />Davis had been arrested eight times previously, but she was never convicted of any crimes. She was due in court the day after her death for kidnapping and attempted murder charges, according to The New York Times. She was unarmed when she was shot.<br /><br />Atkins had been <a href="http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20120615/east-flatbush/cop-who-killed-shantel-davis-accused-of-past-aggressive-behavior" target="_blank">sued seven times over the previous decade</a> for various allegations, including undue use of force, according to DNAinfo.<br /><br />"It’s been almost four years since Shantel’s murder and I still have no answers," Natasha Duncan, Davis' sister, told The Huffington Post in May 2016. "This whole time my family has heard nothing about either the criminal or departmental investigation. My sister’s case has been sitting on District Attorney [Ken] Thompson’s desk since he took office. He ran on a promise of being tough on police brutality, but he’s done absolutely nothing to move my sister’s case forward."<br /><br />Thompson's office says an investigation into Davis' case is underway and her family should receive the findings soon.<br /><br />“We are conducting a fair and thorough review of this case to ensure that all investigative avenues and evidence has been explored," a spokeswoman for Thompson's office told HuffPost. "We expect the investigation to be concluded soon and will inform the family of our findings at that time."<br /><br /><i>This article has been updated to reflect statements from Davis' sister, Thompson's office and a representative of Davis' family, and to clarify that the NYPD's version of events is disputed.</i>](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/A.A3hd8xXqqYL_Rkc.IjrA--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MA--/https://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset/567a3979190000190178a905.jpg)
Davis' family and several groups advocating for police reform have disputed the NYPD's version of events, saying it's not clear whether the car was stolen and, if it was, whether Davis was aware of that. They also claim Davis was trapped behind her airbag when she was shot, not trying to flee the vehicle.
Davis had been arrested eight times previously, but she was never convicted of any crimes. She was due in court the day after her death for kidnapping and attempted murder charges, according to The New York Times. She was unarmed when she was shot.
Atkins had been sued seven times over the previous decade for various allegations, including undue use of force, according to DNAinfo.
"It’s been almost four years since Shantel’s murder and I still have no answers," Natasha Duncan, Davis' sister, told The Huffington Post in May 2016. "This whole time my family has heard nothing about either the criminal or departmental investigation. My sister’s case has been sitting on District Attorney [Ken] Thompson’s desk since he took office. He ran on a promise of being tough on police brutality, but he’s done absolutely nothing to move my sister’s case forward."
Thompson's office says an investigation into Davis' case is underway and her family should receive the findings soon.
“We are conducting a fair and thorough review of this case to ensure that all investigative avenues and evidence has been explored," a spokeswoman for Thompson's office told HuffPost. "We expect the investigation to be concluded soon and will inform the family of our findings at that time."
This article has been updated to reflect statements from Davis' sister, Thompson's office and a representative of Davis' family, and to clarify that the NYPD's version of events is disputed.
Rekia Boyd: Died March 22, 2012, age 22, Chicago
Servin was driving near his home late at night when he saw a group of four people walking. He had a brief conversation with them from his car, then turned the wrong way down a one-way street. According to the Chicago Tribune, he said he then looked over his shoulder and thought he saw a man from the group pull a gun from his pants and point it at him.
Servin fired five rounds over his left shoulder through his car window, striking the man in the hand and Boyd in the back of the head. The man whom Servin believed to have a gun was actually holding a cell phone.
Boyd was taken to a hospital and died the next day.
In 2013, Servin was indicted on charges of involuntary manslaughter, reckless discharge of a firearm and reckless conduct. His trial began in April 2015, but was quickly dismissed by the judge.
In November, the police department began the process of firing Servin, which requires a hearing before the Chicago Police Board. As of December, the board has not yet reached a decision.
The city awarded Boyd’s family $4.5 million as part of a wrongful death settlement.
“My mother holds a lot inside but she’s hurting, especially when she hears about police violence," Martinez Sutton, Boyd’s brother, told The Chicago Citizen newspaper.
Shereese Francis: Died March 15, 2012, age 29, New York City
When NYPD officers arrived, the family’s wrongful death lawsuit alleges, Francis did not realize they were police, due to her mental illness. When Francis, who was unarmed, tried to leave the room against police orders, they allegedly pursued her, grabbed her and “tackled” her on a bed. The suit claims four officers put their weight onto Francis’ back while trying to cuff her, and her sister believes she saw them hitting and using a Taser on Francis until she stopped moving.
Francis was pronounced dead at a hospital shortly after the incident. Her cause of death was "compression of trunk during agitated violent behavior (schizophrenia) while prone on bed and attempted restraint by police officers,” according to The Village Voice.
The lawsuit said the officers overwhelmingly violated NYPD policies on mental illness, in part because the department had failed to provide training on the subject.
The city settled with Francis’ family for $1.1 million.
Aiyana Stanley-Jones: Died May 16, 2010, age 7, Detroit
Police said the raid was in search of a murder suspect who lived in the second-floor unit of the home.
Weekley was charged with involuntary manslaughter and careless discharge of a firearm causing death, but his case was dismissed after two mistrials. He returned to duty as a Detroit police officer in April.
Tarika Wilson: Died Jan. 4, 2008, age 26, Lima, Ohio
Chavalia was acquitted of the misdemeanor charges of negligent homicide and negligent assault. He testified that he felt his life was in danger when he shot Wilson, thinking he'd seen a shadow and heard gunshots nearby. The shots had actually come from officers downstairs, according to the Associated Press.
The city settled a wrongful death suit with Wilson’s family for $2.5 million in 2011.
Alberta Spruill: Died May 16, 2003, age 57, New York City
The city of New York agreed to pay a $1.6 million settlement to Spruill’s family.
“This case for them is not about money. It’s about changing procedure,” Johnnie Cochran, the lawyer for Spruill’s sisters, said in 2003. “It’s about the fact that their sister should not have died in vain.”
Kendra James: Died May 5, 2003, age 21, Portland, Oregon
![Portland police Officer Scott McCollister fatally shot Kendra James during a traffic stop. When McCollister pulled over the car in which James was a passenger, he took the driver, Terry Jackson, into custody after seeing he had an outstanding warrant. James moved behind the wheel of the car and tried to drive away, and McCollister tried to stop her by climbing partway into the car and <a href="http://www.portlandoregon.gov/police/article/33708" target="_blank">pulling her hair and using pepper spray and a Taser</a>. James put the car into drive and McCollister shot her. He later claimed he'd gotten stuck in the car's doorway and that he'd feared for his life.<br /><br />A grand jury declined to prosecute. McCollister was <a href="http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2013/04/memorial_planned_to_mark_10-ye.html" target="_blank">initially suspended</a>, but the disciplinary action was overturned by an arbitrator.<br /><br />“It’s been 10 years later, justice has still not [been] served,” James’ mother, Shirley Isadore, <a href="http://koin.com/2013/05/05/kendra-james-remembered-at-portland-rally/" target="_blank">said at a 2013 rally</a> marking the anniversary of her daughter’s death.](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/DudFmBhhBhiYk06E.J2DFg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MA--/https://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset/567a3979160000b300eb97da.jpg)
A grand jury declined to prosecute. McCollister was initially suspended, but the disciplinary action was overturned by an arbitrator.
“It’s been 10 years later, justice has still not [been] served,” James’ mother, Shirley Isadore, said at a 2013 rally marking the anniversary of her daughter’s death.
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