A Black man was brutally beaten by a White police officer while sitting on his mother’s porch. The incident occurred in Greensboro, North Carolina after police responded to a call about a person attempting to break into a house. Captured on police body cameras, officer Travis Cole and C.N. Jackson approached Dejuan Yourse and asked why he was at the resident sitting on the porch.
Yourse, 36, responded by saying that he was waiting for his mother to get home. Officer Cole continued to question Yourse who attempted to call his mother, but the phone call rolled to voice mail. After several more minutes of questions, Yourse attempted to call someone who could verify to officers that he lived at the resident. Officer Cole reacted with aggression and snatched the phone away from Yourse. Yourse asked the officer why he snatched the phone and the officer began to wrestle him to the ground. Officer Cole then punched Yourse in the eye and mouth without reason. Yourse asked why he was punched and Officer Cole responded by telling Yourse, “Do not f— move. Don’t say another damn word.”
The incident serves as a horrific reminder of the historical mistreatment of Blacks who were violated due to skin color. During slavery, Slave Codes made it illegal for Blacks to leave their master’s plantation without permission. Post-slavery, Black Codes made it illegal for Blacks to leave a job and it was also illegal to be unemployed. During Jim Crow, Blacks were not allowed to visit certain places that were “White-Only.”
Officer Cole enforced the same racist tactics that have existed for centuries to keep Blacks oppressed.
Once the body cam video was reviewed by the Greensboro Police Department, Cole and Jackson were both investigated by internal affairs. The investigation revealed that Cole’s use of force violated the rules of the GPD. Cole eventually resigned from his position and Jackson also left her post.
However, the D.A. did not file criminal charges against Cole for his use of brutality.
