Another video has emerged of a Black man being harassed by police. The incident occurred in Edina, Minneapolis, when Larnie Thomas was walking to avoid construction work. A police officer in plain clothes grabbed him by the arm.
Thomas asked the police officer, Tim Olson, to release his arm but Olson continued to grab his arm and walked him to a police car. The woman who took video on a cellphone, Janet Rowles, told Olson to that he was harassing Thomas and should have politely told him where to walk because of the construction. Olsen eventually pulled Thomas’ shirt off of his body.
Another police officer arrived on the scene and Olson said that he placed Thomas under arrest. Rowles disputed Olson’s statement by saying Thomas was not previously placed under arrest. But Thomas was eventually handcuffed and taken away in a police car.
The video serves as another example of how Black people are profiled and harassed by police. Thomas never broke a law, but it was a case of “walking while Black.” Fortunately, Thomas was able to leave the scene without being shot or killed. The police killings of Philando Castile, Jamar Clark, and Tamir Rice revealed how police use violence in situations that could easily be avoided.
The International Association of Police recently apologized to Black people for their role in the lack of trust that has occurred between police and the Black community. However, the incidents of police harassment and brutality won’t change until there is a systematic change of how police are punished for brutality.
Check out the video on the next page.
