Drop the chalupa . . .
Posted on 06/16/2007 3:54:21 AM PDT by don-o
An investigation into Thursday’s shooting at Waffle House on North State of Franklin Road has some people claiming local authorities took part in racial profiling while searching for suspects.
William Hamilton was at the nearby Taco Bell restaurant Thursday morning just after the shooting took place. He and four of his cousins had left a Johnson City club and drove in two vehicles to the fast food establishment.
Three of the men were in a white Cadillac ordering food at the drive-through while Hamilton and another man were in a Mercury Milan, which was pulled up next to the Cadillac.
“We were there for maybe one minute when cops started pulling up,” Hamilton said. “They pulled out their guns and told us, ‘Freeze or we’re going to blow your head off.’ They jerked us out of the two cars and had us down on the concrete.”
According to Hamilton, the officers used harsh language with the men and handcuffed them as they lay on the ground, all the while still pointing guns at them.
“It was a scared reaction,” Hamilton said. “If you’re on your stomach, handcuffed, do you still need a gun pointed at your head?”
Hamilton believes authorities saw “a group of black guys in nice cars” and thought they had an “easy bust.”
“We weren’t even outside of the car. They did not know anything about us,” Hamilton said. “They had no cause to come after us. If it happened at Waffle House, the shooter is not going to go next door to Taco Bell and get a chalupa.
“It’s racial profiling.”
Johnson City Police Chief John Lowry disagrees.
“I don’t think it’s anything like that. That’s not the way we do business here,” Lowry said. “We had information that one of the people involved ran from the Waffle House over to Taco Bell. One of the people involved was seen over at the Taco Bell parking lot.”
Additionally, police reports indicate witnesses saw three men arguing in the Waffle House parking lot just prior to the shooting and then two vehicles, one of which was a white Cadillac, leaving the scene.
“It’s not because of any race, creed or national origin,” Lowry said. “We already had (two people) shot and we try to make sure no one else gets shot.”
Lowry said what Hamilton perceived as harsh treatment might have been the officers’ attempt at protecting themselves.
“I was not there, so I cannot speak for what he heard or saw,” Lowry said. “But the first thing the officers have to worry about when there is a gun involved is their own safety.”
That’s not flying with Hamilton, who already has contacted a lawyer to help him file a lawsuit against the city.
“We didn’t ask for this. We were asking for a taco. Then they came out with their guns pulled,” Hamilton said. “They messed up, not us. And a message has to be sent. This isn’t about any money. It’s about racial profiling.”
Hamilton also filed a complaint with the Johnson City Police Department in regard to the incident. According to Lowry, that complaint has been “signed out for investigation.”
“There’s always two sides to a story,” Lowry said. “We’ve got his side and now we’re trying to get the rest of the story.”
Meanwhile, authorities continue to search for the individual or individuals responsible for shooting Joseph Swint, 18, of Macon, Ga., and Christopher Powell, 20, of Jefferson City.
An altercation in the Waffle House parking lot between the shooting victims and at least one other person reportedly led to the gunfire.
Both Swint and Powell were treated and released from an area hospital.
Drop that taco and come out with your hands up!
If tha's the first thing that police officers are trained to worry about, then perhaps we don't need police officers.
“It’s not because of any race, creed or national origin,”
A shooting goes down. A description goes out.
“Black men in a white Cadillac.”.
They see Black men in a White Cadilac.
What the hell are they supposed to do? Ignore them?.
Maybe they could be a little more gentle in their approach,but Damn: They would be pretty stupid not to check them out. Is this racial Profiling.? Hardly.
Maybe the troops were a little more agressive than necessary, that tends to happen when police are in their pack syndrome, but it doesnt justify screaming Racial Profiling.
The men stopped were black, the cops were white. No more info needed, obviously racial profiling, racism, whitey out to get the black man........ Gosh, I never heard any of this before.
And lawyers have already been retained, warp speed response. Nothing like having a good lawyer available when money is waiting to be collected, likely in an “out of court settlement.”
Perhaps the good guys decide that potential situations call for a vigorous response.
Makes sense to me. :)
Is the crime here "running" or going from the Waffle House to Taco Bell? Other than police harassment what is the penalty for that crime?
So: You vote that police just ignore the car of the correct description if its at a drive in window?
(Makes sense to me)
Before or after? (wink)
Airport Security Screener:
“Here comes a guy. He’s white, elderly, well dressed, non-Middle East looking, obviously an American. We’ll search and examine him closely.”
“Here comes another guy. He’s dark, Middle Eastern looking, young, wearing a T-Shirt that says “I Hate Blue Eyed Devils” and clenching a dagger between his teeth while dancing up and down chanting “Allah is Great, Death to America.” We’ll let him pass.”
Which was profiling?
The cops did the right thing.
Drop the chalupa . . .
I'm certainly no lover of JBT thuggery, but this thread is full of over-the-top cop-hater remarks.
RTFA!!! In fact, read what you quoted.
..one of the people involved ran from the Waffle House over to Taco Bell.
The crime was... being involved in a shooting!!!
(As for the "safety first" bit, any armed person who doesn't think defensively in a situation where shots have already been fired is not intelligent enough to be allowed to carry a weapon.
They see Black men in a White Cadilac.
Pretty much sums it up for me. The police would be negligent if they DIDN'T jump on that Cadillac, no matter what color the occupants were.
I’m sorry but afreekin-americans have created there own culture of crime and thuggery so they can suffer the results.
Most of them walk around with a chip on their shoulder with there pants hanging around their ankles with hair-dos that look like freakin aliens and somehow they expect to get treated like some businessman in a 3 piece suit getting a parking ticket.
I have no sympathy for the black racists and their ghetto mentality.
I have an even better idea! If a suspect is described as a black man in a white Cadallac, then the police should stop and question a couple of white women driving red Toyotas. You know, just to be fair. And why not? This mentality works well for airport screeners!
Is a /sarcasm tag really needed?
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