Handcuffed because they were selling water?
Each of those incidents bothered me, still bothers me, but for some reason none has rent my soul as much as the incident in Washington, D.C., last week – an incident that didn’t even result in a death.
Dwight Pettiford, former U.S. Park Police chief and a former high-ranking Durham cop, told me Wednesday, “After all my years in law enforcement, I understand why they handcuffed them initially, but after you handcuff them, you’ve obviously patted them down and realize there’s no threat.
They were selling water!
Rather than apologize, Rose immediately attempted to justify their actions by saying the teens were handcuffed for the “safety of the officers and of the individuals.” The boys, she said, were given a verbal warning and released to their guardians.
Why couldn’t they have done that without handcuffing and detaining them and forcing them to be gawked at by visitors from all over the world who no doubt thought and still think they were three dangerous criminals?
[These teens were selling water on the National Mall.
Do you think all of those people have permits?” No.
Barry Saunders Ethan Hyman ehyman@newsobserver.com That won’t happen, though, because it might serve to make those kids feel they’re important, that they matter, that they, too, are America.
To those people, I say – nothing.