Update: Police have released a photo of the Iowa robbery suspect. Does this photo resemble Faith Ekakitie?
A college lineman can stop a run but not a bullet, so when Iowa City police officers drew their weapons on 23-year-old Faith Ekakitie, the University of Iowa defensive lineman wrote in a Facebook post, “Today was the first time I’ve truly feared for my life.”
Ekakitie was in a park playing the popular mobile game Pokemon Go. Just before Ekakitie noticed the officers, he had gone into his pocket to retrieve his cellphone to continue the game.
Ekakitie diplomatically stated that when four of the five officers pulled their guns, it was a case of mistaken identity, but adds that the officers never identified themselves.
“Not once did they identify themselves to me as Iowa City police officers, but with four gun barrels staring me in the face, I wouldn’t dare question the authority of the men and woman in front of me.”
Ekakitie complied with their orders. “My pockets were checked, my backpack was opened up and searched carefully, and I was asked to lift up my shirt while they searched my waistband.”
Ekakitie said the officers explained they were looking for a large Black man, but one wonders if the robbery suspect the police were looking for could’ve been anywhere near Ekakitie’s 6-foot-3, 290-pound frame.
“Not all police officers are out to get you, but at the same time, not all people who fit a criminal profile are criminals,” the lineman wrote.
The Canadian is contending with Black America’s reality. “I am thankful to be alive, and I do now realize, that it very well could have been me, a friend of mine, my brother, your cousin, your nephew etc,” he wrote.
SB Nation reported that Sgt. Jorey Bailey of the Iowa City Police Department said he was unaware of the bank robbery, the supposed suspect, or any disciplinary actions for the officers who drew their weapons.
Ekakitie’s police encounter supports findings from a 2015 report by the Des Moines Register that Black people in Iowa are more likely to be stopped and arrested by police.
