Another Black person was the victim of racial profiling. On Sept. 6, the Akron Beacon Journal reported that Darren Cooper, who is Black, was detained by law enforcement in Ravenna, Ohio.
Cooper was using a cell phone while sitting in his gray Mustang on Aug. 13 when a woman called the police. According to the 911 call, the woman claimed that she saw a man in a Mustang holding a gun.
“I really believe he was holding a pistol,” the woman said on the call. “I’m pretty darn sure it’s a pistol.”
When Ravenna police arrived, they surrounded Cooper’s car and yelled, “Put your hands up.” He was forced out of his vehicle and placed in handcuffs as authorities searched his car.
Cooper has a concealed-weapon permit, but police discovered that he did not have a gun in his possession. The only object in his hand at the time was a cell phone.
Cooper reportedly wants the woman who made the call to face punishment for her actions.
Over the past few months, the nation has witnessed how simple encounters between the police and Black people can turn violent within seconds.
In May, the world was shocked when George Floyd was killed after a call regarding an alleged counterfeit $20 bill turned deadly.
The Ravenna Police Department has yet to reveal if the woman who made the 911 call will be charged.
