“Just ‘cause I’m Black, you wanna pull your guns out.”

Excerpt from Daniel, a defendant at the Hall of Justice in San Jose in winter 2022

Daniel: Um, when I got arrested, you know, the first initial thing, you know, you're supposed to uh, you know, check the situation and all that. You just don't go straight to drawing your gun ‘cause I'm a Black man with a hoodie on.

Interviewer: Hmm. 

Daniel: You know, like I have a weapon on me or something like that. And it was like 15 cars pulled up, and they all had their guns drawn. And it's like, for what? Like, it's a fucking warrant. Like, put your guns away; I don't have no weapons. I'm telling you there's no weapons, and everyone's just like, “Ohh, ohh. Don't move or I'll shoot you. I'll shoot you [unclear].” Like, like blatant racist-type shit. Just ‘cause I'm Black, you wanna pull your guns out. Like, if it was just somebody White, ya'll would've talked to him, all on the side of the window, “Well, well, sir, can you get out your vehicle?” And all this stuff, you know. They, they just came guns drawn, blazing. Like I was the fucking public enemy number one. 

Interviewer: Ugh, I mean, in that moment— 

Daniel: And, and, I had my—

Interviewer: Yeah, go ahead. 

Daniel: I had my daughter there. I had my daughter there, and they had the guns on her. I'm like, like, like, you guys are doing way too much. Like, you know, like way too much. That wasn't cool. Scared the shit out of my daughter.