Photo: worldstarhiphop.com
The Helena-West Helena Police Department in Arkansas is investigating an incident that occurred at the weekend in the parking lot of a closed convenience store, after video of it went viral.
It’s being described as a “Driving While Black”-type of incident, where a black driver is being targeted by police for the simple reason that he’s black. You can also find it at the bottom of the page.
Edrick Truitt was in the parking lot of the convenience store to meet up with his family, he tells WREG. As he was getting ready to leave, several police cars showed up and told everyone that they had to evacuate the parking lot.
Truitt tried to drive off but was blocked by another car as he was about to pull out. That’s when the cop jumped out of his car with his gun in his hand and started yelling at him. Panicked, Truitt started recording and live streaming the encounter.
The officer tells Truitt to shut off the car, but Truitt repeatedly asks him what he did wrong. Then, Truitt replies that he’s not about to turn off the car because it would be the excuse the cop wanted to shoot him without warning. “He’s got a gun! Gun!” the cop yells.
When he realizes he’s being filmed, the cop softens somewhat. “I’m not gon’ shoot you, but you ain’t gon’ move those hands,” he tells Truitt at one point, right after ordering him again to shut off the car. Truitt refuses, which prompts an accusation of failing to comply with a lawful order. Truitt asks another officer to put the car in park for him because he doesn’t want to get shot for moving his hand.
The cop seems confused about what Truitt did wrong, first telling him he “came back” to the parking lot and then saying he “never left the parking lot.”
Eventually, the cop puts his gun away and drags Truitt out of his car. He was charged with loitering and refusing to obey a lawful order. Truitt did have a gun in the backseat but it wasn’t in sight and it was registered to his name. He told the officers about it as he was being dragged away. He wasn’t charged with anything gun-related.
“Played it safe,” Truitt tells WREG of his refusal to comply and shut off the car engine. “He was like, ‘That's a failure to comply,’ but if I would have complied, I would have got killed.”
The incident is now under investigation with the Helena-West Helena Police Department. The officer has been receiving threats after the video went viral and stopped coming to work because of it.
Edrick Truitt was in the parking lot of the convenience store to meet up with his family, he tells WREG. As he was getting ready to leave, several police cars showed up and told everyone that they had to evacuate the parking lot.
Truitt tried to drive off but was blocked by another car as he was about to pull out. That’s when the cop jumped out of his car with his gun in his hand and started yelling at him. Panicked, Truitt started recording and live streaming the encounter.
The officer tells Truitt to shut off the car, but Truitt repeatedly asks him what he did wrong. Then, Truitt replies that he’s not about to turn off the car because it would be the excuse the cop wanted to shoot him without warning. “He’s got a gun! Gun!” the cop yells.
When he realizes he’s being filmed, the cop softens somewhat. “I’m not gon’ shoot you, but you ain’t gon’ move those hands,” he tells Truitt at one point, right after ordering him again to shut off the car. Truitt refuses, which prompts an accusation of failing to comply with a lawful order. Truitt asks another officer to put the car in park for him because he doesn’t want to get shot for moving his hand.
The cop seems confused about what Truitt did wrong, first telling him he “came back” to the parking lot and then saying he “never left the parking lot.”
Eventually, the cop puts his gun away and drags Truitt out of his car. He was charged with loitering and refusing to obey a lawful order. Truitt did have a gun in the backseat but it wasn’t in sight and it was registered to his name. He told the officers about it as he was being dragged away. He wasn’t charged with anything gun-related.
“Played it safe,” Truitt tells WREG of his refusal to comply and shut off the car engine. “He was like, ‘That's a failure to comply,’ but if I would have complied, I would have got killed.”
The incident is now under investigation with the Helena-West Helena Police Department. The officer has been receiving threats after the video went viral and stopped coming to work because of it.
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