Police frisk former running back Ricky Williams for taking a walk, suspiciously???

[True Dough]

How do you feel about this? A person living in a neighborhood of Tyler, Texas, calls the police about a suspicious man allegedly jumping fences into people's yards. The cops respond and question Ricky Williams, a former NFL and University of Texas star running back. They don't recognize who he is initially but treat him a bit differently afterward. He's also a cast member on the current season of Celebrity Apprentice, by the way. He's also a big marijuana advocate (not judging, just noting).

Anyway, Williams insists he was staying at the nearby hotel and all he was doing was going for a walk. Do you think the police were too aggressive in their approach, both verbally and by subjecting him to a frisking? Would it have been different if it was a white person? Would the neighbor even have made the call if it was a white person they spotted out their window (we'll never know the answer to that, but one can't help but wonder).

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2688410-ricky-williams-questioned-frisked-by-police-in-video-for-alleged-trespassing

[Phoenix61]

1. Just wrong

He handled it really, really well.

[True Dough]

4. I think so too

One of the police officers says something to the effect, "Hey, you don't know what I've been through."

But the police officer chose his profession.

Williams was born black and by extension it makes him a suspect in situations like this even when he's innocent. Must be really frustrating to be subjected to it repeatedly due to profiling.

[onecaliberal]

2. Geezuz Christ- these fuckers will be even more emboldened now.

[Glamrock]

3. Uhm

Would it have been different if it was a white person? Would the neighbor even have made the call if it was a white person they spotted out their window?

I'm going to answer these questions as succinctly as possible.

Duh!?!

[True Dough]

5. Thanks

for adding a juvenile level of discourse, Glamrock.

[Glamrock]

6. Hey man

that's what I'm here for!


But, if you are humor challenged, the answer is yes. It would have been different had he been white.

[Sucha NastyWoman]

8. Why so mean?

Is there a history here I don't know about?

[Jane Austin]

7. I know a black family who lived in Tyler

and who moved to Austin when their three sons were teens.

Her kids were exemplary but if they were just out in their own front yard the police would drive by very slowly looking hard for anything they could dislike.

They were sick of it, and felt that their kids' lives depended on their getting out of there.

I think of Tyler as the Florida of Texas. There's always something bizarre in the paper that has happened in Tyler - or Florida.

[Sucha NastyWoman]

9. The cop said he did not believe that he was not in someone's backyard

The homeowner said he saw someone in his neighbors backyard. Ricky Williams said he hadn't been anybody's backyard. Why did they choose to believe the homeowner instead of Ricky Williams? I think we all know the answer to that.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

10. Good point. It's not just the cops, but sometimes racist white people who call them...

playing a role as well.

If the police get a call about someone breaking into a car, or whatever it might be, they're likely going to respond.

A caller bearing false witness could just claim he/she assumed that's what was happening.

[True Dough]

15. Exactly!

By default the homeowner's word is assumed to be correct. And when Williams raises the prospect of race the officers get all defensive like, "Hey, that's crazy talk."

[JCanete]

11. glad they're on camera. This is total bullshit. It should not be their right to harass people based

upon no other description than a suspect was "supposedly" black. I'm not even sure that much was determined here. He was a black man running, and apparently that could only mean one thing.

How is this enough legitimate probable cause to "request" that a person submit to a pat-down? They didn't even bother to make shit up about what the suspect was wearing.

[alllove]

12. He handled that much better than I would have

It was demeaning and racist with their line of questioning .

[1965Comet]

13. To paraphrase FMJ:

Any black man that runs, is a criminal. Any black man that stands still (or walks, I guess), is a well-disciplined criminal!

[SamKnause]

14. As a 63 year old white woman I am SICK of this shit !!!!!!!!!!

I think white people are intentionally calling the police every time they see a black man.

1. Ricky never should have been stopped.

2. After Ricky was patted down that should have been the end of it.

He had no weapons, and one cop insinuated he thought he was stealing.

3. There was no merchandise found on Ricky, but they continued the questioning.

4. This assholes were just itching to shoot him.

I am so angry and upset about the direction this country continues on.

If you are black you have to be guilty of something is the standard way of thinking

for these fucking cops.