Let's talk about a european cop asking about black Americans.... 

As a Black American who lived in Europe for a few years, I agree with this approach. If law enforcement officers in the USA don’t want to feel targeted, they can just do better.

Beau as a Black American I take no issue with provided suggestions to European police. Be direct, and most of all yes, let Black Americans know you're NOT like American cops. Implicit bias is a helluva thing.

During WW2 a pub in Lancashire, England was told by a US officer that it would have to institute a colour bar for US personnel who used the pub. The next day, the pub displayed a sign reading "Blacks only".

As a European citizen, thiis is such a HUGE cultural difference that cuts both ways. No matter how much I believe all my American friends that the USA is a great country, the notion that a Police officer approaching me has the very REAL chance of me ending up tassed or dead if for whatever reason things go south is such an extreme conclusion. I am NEVER afraid of any police officer/officers approaching me in Europe.

The way the US cops behave always reminds me of an occuping military force, rather than a "peace" officer.

We are not American cops. You are safe! How can we help? I think letting that Black American know that their life isn't in danger is vital.

As a black person (and a woman at that) if you tell me straight forward “I’m not here to hurt you” that will help me not to have a panic attack. I have never been in legal trouble in my life but the presents of police officers takes years off of my life. Once my white friend got us into a car accident in the country side and when the police came they kept trying to claim I was driving or I was dangerous (I’m a tiny woman mind you) Lucky the young man who found and rescued us called his dad. I had never in my life been so happy to see a white man in my life. I ran to him and hid behind him and the police stopped trying to harass me after he pointedly asked them what the hell they thought they were doing scaring me like that. Thank god for kind white folk that understand the signs 😢

I travel in Europe a lot, I'm a 6'4 black guy. I have interacted with cops in Greece, Serbia, Germany, etc...mainly to ask how to get somewhere. They were all professional and helpful. On the other hand, A cop was beating on my door unannounced, I opened the door quickly to see who the jackass was, since he wasn't standing off to the side, the door clipped him. He immediately started threatening me with jail and saying I could have been shot. Turns out, he was at the wrong address.

"Your not in trouble. How can we help?" from law enforcement, to an American, especially a Black American, would just be stunning. And that's horrible.

"How can we help?" 4 words that would change law enforcement forever.

Way back in the 80s I had a friend enroll in the police academy. When I ran into her months later I found out that she had changed her mind and quit. When I asked her why, her response was.."They were teaching us to fear the people who we were supposed to be protecting."

It takes longer to train a taxi driver in London, than it does to be a qualified police officer, carrying a gun, in most US states

I as a black American man of 53, I've had more than my share of unnecessary run-ins with overzealous cops and I agree with this message. Right at the start, just assure black travelers that they're not in trouble and that you're there to help. And yes, it's perfectly fine to say "don't worry, we're not like American cops."

As a 50 yr old Black man, I can honestly say that I have never heard a police officer in the U.S. ask me, "Is there anything I can do to help? ". I've been treated with more respect by police I've met while being deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan, than here in the US.

If American cops don't want to be mocked, they should stop doing what they do. They bring the mockery upon themselves.

I saw this happen once on a street in Malmö. The cop said something like "please, sir, take your hands down. I am here for everybodys safety, including yours. I got a report about your argument and came over to see if I can be of help. Nobody is in trouble. You have not done anything illegal".

American police and their insane behavior should be openly mocked. It's sick and embarrassing.

I'm an old American lady living in France, and this brought tears to my eyes. Well, damn, all the cop stories do, but this is just sad. These folks have been so traumatized by stupid American police practices that they can't even take a vacation from their fear. I name that PTSD.

As an American, this hurts. To those officers in another country; treat us like we are abused children.

The male half of an American couple living in the Netherlands got a heart-attack while at home. The ambulance came, two members of the personnel treated the man while still in his appartment to take away the immediate threat to his life, while a third member calmed down his wife, saying: don't you worry, he's gonna be okay, and also don't worry about the money, we know that you are American, but you don't have to pay for this all.

People in foreign countries must look at American politics, Healthcare, and policing with just absolute disdain

My daughter is a police offiser here in Norway. They have three years at university level school getting a bachelour degree. To attend the school in the first place there are several tests. So I guess maga would say we have a woke police. Thank goodness for that.

I am an American black mother of a black son. When he was in high school a group of white classmates of his were caught doing donuts in a field late at night. My son and I happened to drive by the scene and saw the cops had arrived. The kids were lined up on the side of the road with their parents present. The cops had allowed them to call their parents. The cops had given the kids blankets, because it was the middle of the winter. Each of their parents were clearly angry with them. The cops stood and attentively watched as the parents lectured their children. It was clear that this was being treated as a “kids will be kids” situation by the cops. Why? Because the cops were also white and probably looked at the kids and thought, “Oh, these kids remind me of my own.” They humanized them and saw their own children, nieces, nephews etc. in the faces of the white kids. Their empathy and familiarity kicked in and they treated those kids with familial kindness and understanding. I told my son that the story would have probably been different if it had been a group of black kids. He agreed. Why? Because the empathy of many US police officers only extends as far as those who look like them. They dehumanize black kids. They don’t see kids, they see grown thugs who are a threat. I don’t believe blankets would have been handed out. I don’t believe parents would have been called. I believe the outcome may have been more grave and for much less of an offense, if those kids were black. We’ve seen it play out too many times. Training surrounding culture and race needs to be taught. In the US, background checks for police officers need to be thorough and monitoring and training for racial bias needs to be ongoing. That’s just one suggestion. However, I am not naive. I know this issue is systemic in the US. That is why my suggestion seems like a mere bandaid. As for the way we as black people are seen and treated in other countries, I am glad the European officer recognized that the reaction of the couple was rooted in the trauma caused by the systemic racism in the US. We have some wonderful officers here, yet those who embrace the brutalization of black people and who lack empathy and understanding have been loud. Their actions have reverberated around the world. So, the fact that the European officer even asks gives me a , dare I say, glimmer of hope that others see what is going on. I would say follow protocol and approach cautiously, while understanding that we are people. Regardless of how we may have been painted by Hollywood or the US media, you, as a servant of people, need to make sure you engage with empathy and with the understanding that we are your fellow man. (It feels weird and it makes me so angry to even have to remind people of this.) Still, this understanding and level of empathy will lay a good foundation for any actions to follow.

As a Black American, this is actually one of the reasons I'm planning on leaving the states. I don't want my daughter to grow up fearing police officers. Once I finish college and gain experience, I will be applying for jobs overseas.

I am an African American in Georgia and for years we have taught our youth, especially males to hold up both hands, verbally say that I am complying and not to look or act threatening in ANY way. We have practiced this in our churches, in our homes and community, especially these last 10 or more years

As a African American woman, I agree with this approach. Just say that you're not like American cops and we'll quickly understand what that means. I love how this cop reached out to you. That is wonderful and appreciated.

As an African American citizen, thank you Denmark whole-heartedly, for even inquiring on how to ease the PTSD of what it is to be an American "Black " person. The story you just told Beau had me on edge because I already was waiting for the officer to behave in an American manner towards the African American couple. The end result had me floored, I wanted more of this awesome understanding by a European officer. Great story Beau.

I am a black American, and non-blacks have to understand that when some Black people see cops, it’s a natural reaction for us to immediately feel like our lives are in danger. Think of it as post traumatic stress syndrome. I think your tips you gave European cops are helpful.

I'm a white male from Australia. I was in the US a few years ago and I had a few hours to kill while waiting for my partner to arrive at Seattle airport. I decided to go for a drive to try and get a good photo of Mt Rainier (A surprisingly difficult task considering how large that mountain is!). I was driving through the town of Black Diamond and I noticed that I was being followed by the local sheriff. I pulled over and he pulled over behind me. I got out of the car and went to talk to him . As he got out of his car, he had his hand hovering over his gun. I said "Hey mate, how are ya?" and he pretty much immediately relaxed and commented on the fact that I was obviously Australian. I spoke to him for a while and he recommended a spot that he thought I could get a good photo from, and then told me "If you get pulled over in America, stay in your vehicle and keep your hands visible". After I'd gone on my way, I sort of had a realisation: If I hadn't been white, and I hadn't immediately come across as a tourist, I don't know what he would have done. I spent the rest of the trip getting anxious every time I saw a police officer or police car. Sort of brought the enjoyment levels down. Is that feeling how all US residents feel all the time? If so, that's a serious impact on quality of life!

The collective mass trauma that this represents is just heartbreaking.

As I was listening to this video and reading the comments, I recalled that over 90% of Danish Jews survived the Holocaust because of actions taken by their government and their neighbours. The Danish cop who sent you this question reflects a society with a very commendable set of values.

As I Black American, I would like for a cop to take the position of being an advocate towards the situation by asking a question: “How can I help?” Giving a harsh demand ignores the citizen’s need to be help or heard.

I remember when I was naive enough to call the cops when my apartment was robbed and my stereo system stolen ON MY BIRTHDAY. I don’t know what I was expecting to happen. Why did I think that they would dust for fingerprints or at least make a report? Nope! They questioned me like I was a suspect. Where did I work? How did I get a stereo? They even accused me of stealing my own stereo! It was bad. All I could do was cry when they left. I thought that being robbed was the worst thing that could happen that day. I was wrong. They treated me like a stray dog. Another time, they threw my blind nephew on the ground with guns pointed at him for being young and Black. Of course he didn’t know what was happening and couldn’t see the guns pointed at him. One wrong move and he would be dead. Thank goodness for the neighbor screaming that he was blind. All they saw was prey. Even if I was in danger, I’d have to think THRICE before calling them because you never know what kind of cop will show up. The trauma is REAL.

As a black man that have interactions with police in Germany, Russia, Panama Central America, and other countries, nothing but respect. I’ve only experienced racism from police here in my own country. The key to combating racism from cops is to fully understand your rights as a citizen.

This needs to be shown in every police precinct in America. American cops have a fairly earned bad, bad reputation.

I had an old friend from Atlanta visit me in Spain. He spent a month here with me, after about two weeks he looked at me, almost chocking up and said that he just realised that for the first time in his life wasn't nervous when he saw two police officers walking past us.

Old white American male here. I had a surprisingly strong emotional response to this. I stopped the video when Beau read "...he threw up his hands". I choked. I almost cried. I knew immediately what was going on, and i felt embarrassment, chagrin. Shame.

I'll try to be brief.....as a black man who recently retired from a 24 year law enforcement career, I can absolutely say I agree with your suggested response. In fact I myself have had to tell people "we're not like chicago police" in order to de-escalate situations in the streets. Sometimes that statement alone was enough to get a laugh and calm the situation down. I think the biggest issue is respect. When you speak to people with respect It makes it hard for them to be agressive with you. Unfortunately most cops in this country DONT speak with respect, they speak with arrogance and ego. You cannot adequately serve the public when you think that you are "better than" them.....Ego turns conversations into confrontations and turns confrontations into deadly force encounters. Bottom line is if you cant treat people like they are your EQUAL instead of treating them like they are beneath you, Law enforcement is NOT the career for you.

As a former LEO who happens to be Black, I can assure you this isn't easy to comment on. So many fellow officers have been stopped and frisked by cops in this country just because they can make no sense. My best friend a retired Chief, has to drive around with his jacket hanging in his back side window just in case he's stopped for some reason or another. At the annual IACP (International Chief of Police) conference we have cops from across the globe and when you speak with them, let's say from France, Germany and even some countries in Africa, they all act like public servants instead of "containment enforcement officers" as some do in this country. This subject has a 1000 different variables Beau, I'm just glad you tackled it head on. There are some great consulting firms that are working extra hard to tackle, less lethal methods, situational awareness, conflict resolution, and so much more. It's an uphill battle, honestly the days of "Officer Friendly" are over. And that leads to so much discourse in our communities. Beau, I'm just glad you tackled this head on. We can do better if we just have empathy for one another. Let's start with that.

In Glasgow Scotland the officers don’t carry guns. I saw them handle a street fight without violence and sent everyone on their way. Also they are visible and walk the streets not hiding in cars. I became lost and was hesitant to ask the Scottish offers for directions but felt it was safer to ask them. I was so shocked at how helpful they were and I didn’t feel like a black woman just a person needing directions.

Citizens of any country acting that way when they see cops after just arguing is heartbreaking, and European police having to consider how to calm down American citizens who are afraid of the police really speaks novels.

As an American I completely approve of European cops talking trash about American cops.

Great topic. I’m a black female Army vet with an adult black son. I fight fear and disheartening thoughts daily. Every time I see a cop pass a cop fear sets in. I have friends who are cops and my spouse was a military police officer it still does not stop the fear. It’s just a crazy place to be in 2023.

As a black man I am both hesitant and skeptical of police. As a former DT instructor for police I am VERY skeptical of anything an officer says. Honestly I don't know if an officer saying 'I'm not like American cops' would put me at ease because I would immediately assume this was a tactic to lie to me to make a subsequent search easier. I had a situation in Germany (I'm former military) where a police officer probably sensed my discomfort and quickly disengaged with me. Unfortunately, the hard-wired nature of police response in the black community leaves disengaging as the preferable option. I have heard other cops say 'well I'm not like other police' while doing EXACTLY the same unconstitutional search practices of the 'crooked ' cops. I apologize for the length of this response I just figured it deserves thorough explanation.

As a black american living abroad, I have to say I'm still a little traumatized any time I see an officer. My colleagues and I relocated for work to NZ and once, one of our team members got stopped by the cops, she called us just so she had someone on the phone line in case something popped off. She and her husband are from TX originally, so she's always on alert for gun action. She was even more freaked cause he was driving. So you can already imagine the conversation going on when he got pulled over. 😂 Ultimately, the officer had stopped them to let them know their light was out and asked if they needed help. I can't tell you how weird, but amazing it was to know the cop was genuinely interested in helping. So what can I say works, just treat us like humans. Be kind. We respond positively to kindness.

It's refreshing that those officers were bothered by being seen as dangerous.... because as a black American.. I'm bothered that I'm seen as dangerous. As a FEMALE black American, I am deeply disturbed that I'm seen as a thief and a shoplifter. Thank you for this!!

To know that an American citizen, visiting another country, felt the need to throw up his hands and state that he is complying, to law enforcement, is so embarrassing and just hurts my heart. Proof that it’s not just our stupid politicians making us a laughingstock on the world stage. Now the world stage can pity our citizens, as well, because of the way they are treated by those who are supposed to ‘protect and serve’.

5:40 This part says everything. "Calling on the police in Denmark does not come with the chance of a death sentence." The whole world knows how awful our police system is. The world.

This made me sob for what some AMERICAN CITIZENS go through! The rest of the world SEES the disgrace this is! Land of the free? Really?

Even as a white male from Europe, American cops scare me. Or at least the border guards that I have interacted with. They seem so stressed and look like they are geared up for war.

This makes me really sad. My brother used to be a cop and had to quit, because he hated who he was becoming. Our cowboy mentality is making our country a global laughing stock.

Isn't it weird how with all their money and investigative capabilities and manpower, the cops still can't figure out who among them is a ACTUAL REGISTERED KKK member? Or is it that they don't care?

I'm a melanin poor skinned male and I can recall several scenarios in my college days where the officers completely ignored me at a "rowdy party" and went straight for my melanin rich peers. It was blatant racism and it was a complete wake up to the realities of the inherent racism in our justice system. To this day, I have very little trust in the law enforcement community and I was only a bystander. I can only imagine what it's like for those who are directly impacted.

I am a 6'5" black man. Your suggestion is fundamentally a good one. (The intermediary idea might work, but the problem still might be effectively disrupting their exchange without scaring them). Another version of your idea: From about 6-10 feet away with hands out in welcoming stance: "Excuse me, we do policing differently over here. I would like to talk to you about a way that we might be able to address your insulin problem. Could we talk about that?" This does not completely throw US cops under the bus, and it shows that the cop has listened, and still asks for consent to engage. By the way....love your work, Beau....I am always wondering whether you aspire to even a bigger platform....you certainly deserve it.

I am black, and a senior citizen, retired military, been all over the world…it is so scary when your color is considered a weapon, often times you have to prove you have the right to live and exist in America, and so often you have no idea how someone else is thinking about you at that scary moment, especially an authoritarian figure , and then move that scenario to a foreign country. I like the approach of hey, it’s all cool, we want to help, what can we do?

This is sad. Black citizens are treated better over seas. The world 🌎 is watching.

Imagine living in a country where the motto "to serve and protect" was more than just a sad irony

The fact that black people are visibly fearful of cops should be all everyone, every single person needs to know that there is a unacceptable problem.

I've lived in Europe as a Black American and if the cop keeps distance, SMILES and offers help from that distance would be a huge help.

I would be set at ease if cops were actually held accountable for extra judicial killings.

I have a physical response when I cop is NEAR ME. If I see someone else pulled over my heart races and if I get pulled over I start sweating and trembling. Hell when I had a wreck I had to park for over an hours just because about 5 cars of cops came over to “help with the accident” …So whatever you do please be gentle and non threatening as possible. I could be raped, robbed, or shot and I WOULD NOT call the police. - black American woman here.

I’m black and from the UK but spent 2 years living in the US (Atlanta) and 1 year in Copenhagen (Denmark). I have to say that this is the most Danish response ever! Lol. Unlike the UK their cops actually carry guns too and to hear this response it does not surprise me at all. The US could do a lot to pay attention to how the rest of the world sees them and how to deal with its citizens (regardless of race) at home.

It's not just American cops. It's been bleeding over into Canadian police too. Cultures in America, from brutal policing to right-wing fascism, end up coming to Canada. It's damn annoying. So if America could get their crap together, that would be great.

My experience: I went to Paris in 2008 and took almost 500 pictures. While I took pictures of the Royale Palais, one of the cops approached me, very courteous which caught me off guard He explained that he didn't know if I was taking surveillance photos and I had to delete them. We stood side by side as he watched. He even chuckled that I had so many pics. We said thank you and have a good day to each other. 😎 Who knew cops can be decent human beings? Who knew? 🤔

As a German, I think more Americans should visit Europe.

The way European cops could set Americans at ease would be to come to America to train our pants-on-head law enforcement.

I’m a black lady. Before Beau even said it I thought say “This isn’t America. How can we help?”

Dane here. I visited chicago about a decade ago as a tourist. One night I was lost trying to find my way back to the hotel; I asked a couple cops on McD parkinglot for directions. I went to them because I thought they were there to help ppl in distress and I was lost in a foreign city. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine they would threaten me with arrest if I didn't leave the area immidiatly.... I spent the rest of that night walking through shady suburb neighbourhoods. Every american I met after that said I was lucky to survive and not being robbed. Seemed like the cops were as dangerous as the shady robbers I was warned about... Our cops provide service to the public and don't assume you are a criminal. -I guess guns per capita is one thing that make americans cop act like everyone is a potential murderer....

Jeez that's a brutal look at how police are in the US vs a lot of the rest of the world.

As a black American who went to five European countries in October, had several instances where we would pass in close proximity in various police, not once did I feel threatened. My wife and I even asked for directions on several occasions. In Germany after I asked my question, I thanked him for his help and he shook my hand. Which stunned me!! I would never do any of this in the United States ever! The friends we were visiting told us particularly in Germany police are there to help they're not there to harass people. If you're just walking around minding your own business they mind their own business. It's a different Aura over there. If you're speeding no one pulls you over you get the ticket. Here speeding if a person of color you might end up dead at the hands of police.

As a white european woman who once had to deal with two US cops I can tell you the difference between how cops over here and in the US approach, treat and talk to people is like night and day.

I salute you for using your platform to address this festering injustice.

As an American, realizing that you left your insulin at home, and NOT knowing how good the European system is, would leave you in fear for your life. On top of that, a cop walks up.

As a Black guy, who has vacationed in Copenhagen, the police are different in a good way. 👍🏼 I would simply ask _"Hey, what can we do to _*_help_*_ you?"_ with a measure of empathy is a good start. It can help "turn the temperature in the room" down. If its an issue, offer reassurance; like, _"I am here as a peace officer. Let's work this out _*_together."_* Even though your options at the moment may be limited, _the effort_ made to exhaust your available resources to help in a reasonable manner go a long way. Contrary to American media propaganda, we are not all violent and unreasonable. We are tired of being a punching-bag for ridicule, feeling we have no allies in the world. Although we respect authority figures, we don't trust authority very easily because of our history in America and relationship with American police; which is akin to a relationship between a hammer and a nail. That's where the "hands up" and "just comply" is programmed into us. We just want to live to see tomorrow.

As a Dane who's lived in Los Angeles for 20 years, I recently visited my home town of Copenhagen and attended a yearly street party (Distortion) which had - I'm guessing - 10s of thousands of people, drinking, dancing, for 6 hours, across 3x3 city blocks, totally crammed in like in a club. I only personally saw police act once over all those hours, when they helped a guy who was hurt. The whole thing was incredibly emotional to me. It was such an incredible contrast to the kind of life it's possible to live here in L.A.

I am a black French female, I have travelled all over the world, been to many countries, but I cannot convince myself to spend a cent to travel to the US and I honestly can say it is because of the Police. The depiction of how life is for Black people in the US in movies, in the news, has blocked me from this step. I know it can be seen as a stupid reaction, but I swear, I just cannot commit myself to travel to the US!!!

As a Black woman I think if a cop from another country approached me saying something like you said I would have a tendency to relax. Also if he has his hands no where near his gun. That would be the most important sign. That means he isn’t already feeling threatened just because of my race and I can let down my guard a little.

I showed my dad this video and he said 'of course it would be blacks making a disturbance.' I've tried to educate my family with your thought provoking videos but now it's time to go no contact for the final time. Living in the south is hard

If you’re a Cop approaching an African-American don’t raise your voice, and start with “how can I help?”. Approach us calmly. We’re more afraid of you than you are of us. Any instance of heightened emotions makes us terrified because we know that we can be killed in seconds should the Cop “feel threatened”. Wether we’ve done something wrong or not Cops mean danger, and this has been drilled in our heads since we were kids.

We need the world to openly shame what's going on in the US.

Black American. This is what would make me feel safer: "Hi, I'm officer (or whatever rank) . Badge/ID number . No one is in trouble, I just came by to see if I could help. You can record our interaction if you like".

I got stopped in Germany while I was walking (I was lost, and I must have looked it), but the cop noticed I was visibly trembling and he actuall said, and I quote "You don't have to worry, I'm not going to hurt you. This isn't America."

I love this on several levels. One, "We're not like American cops" is absolutely true and it points out that most other first-world countries are not like ours when it comes to policing or the way that police are viewed. "How can we help?" is a sentence that I can't imagine hearing from any police officers in our great Land of Freedom. I'm a 74 year old, college educated, white male and I've never heard it. On the other hand, I've been abused by police on many occasions. It's not that we don't have good cops. We do. But we also have a thoroughly broken police culture that is reinforced by adversarial cadet training, opaque operations, and zero effective oversight - all of which are a perfect prescription for abusive behavior.

I've always believed (as a black American) that the first contact with authorities anywhere could set the tone. There's a huge difference between, "Good afternoon, I'm officer Jake Davis, I'm pulling you over for a broken taillight," and "GET OUT OF THE CAR AND KEEP YOUR HANDS WHERE I CAN SEE THEM!" Really just address people the way you'd want to be addressed.

I am a Black American. My experiences with Law Enforcement has been horrific. Your suggestions are great... Nothing said can prevent our initial response to the approach of an Officer of the law. If curious, I can describe some of my encounters and maybe shed some light on why our responses are so dramatic.

That is just so sad. To think that raising your arms and saying that your complying, when you’ve done nothing wrong, is just tragic.

I'm a black American and "we're not like American cops" would instantly lower my adrenaline. It shows empathy - the cop understands the dynamic and why the black dude is complying so emphatically. He's letting the dude know, "this isn't like that".

I am Danish (from Denmark) and police academy here take 3½ years, and far from everyone makes it through or is admitted in the first place. Police here are very good at deescalating and getting situations under control without having to resort to force, but are absolutely traning and capable of using force if necessary.

They should do a campaign calling out the horrible behavior of US cops while ensuring their citizens that they would never act so unhinged and barbaric.

I'm a Caucasian woman with blonde hair and blue eyes who grew up in Europe. I was not afraid of the police in any of the European countries I visited. In my home country, the motto of law enforcement is "your friend and helper." However, since moving to the US, I've been scared of US cops not only due to their behavior in the news but also when I interacted with them.

Beau, your suggestions are on point 100%. Tell them no one's in trouble and you're not an American cop.

Man, he sounded so compassionate! Im glad the man and his wife had an opportunity to see how it should be.

As a black woman, I’m not even sure how to respond to this. I’ve only been stopped by the police once in my life and I was honestly petrified. There are people who don’t believe that the fear is real but it is and it would be hard to just let go of even though you’re in a different country. I’m sure you would want to trust that it’s different and you wouldn’t be harmed, but fear is not really a voluntary emotion. 🤷🏽‍♀️

The fact that black Americans are conditioned to respond in that way when a police officer shows up is so maddening and sad. It really SHOULDN'T be that way.

I grew up in Canada. We knew that the police were the sons and daughters of people we knew. I would never have hesitated to ask a Cop for help, directions or just to yell hello. I worked as a waitress when I was in high school and when we saw a Cop, we jumped to it because we knew they didn't have much time when on patrol and we made sure that they were served quickly. We had such respect for them. They were good guys. They married our friends and had kids in our schools. I've lived in the US for 20 years now. I have no respect for most of these guys who work in law enforcement here. Sure, I still say hello but I would never socialize with them. They are hard, suspicious and have this paramilitary outlook that just doesn't jive with policing a community. They seem to prioritize Military experience without realizing that we are not the enemy. The last thing you want is some guy with PTSD wading into a domestic disturbance. Yes, it can be dangerous but sometimes they bring the danger. They seem to have no judgement or care for the people they police. That Cop in Denmark read the situation correctly. It was a problem they could help with and they did so. Tazing a man in a wheel chair, punching an elderly woman, killing black men who are complying and ripping children from their Mothers is horrific. Do I know how to change this? No. Common sense is learned at the feet of your parents and I fear that there is very little common sense or manners here. Sorry that this is so long. Your commentary this morning triggered me.

As a black man in America, I have to say thank you Beau! I appreciate you speaking on this topic. I am a federal government employee, a part time faculty member, and a concealed carry permit holder here in ohio. And for some reason, I’m terrified if police get behind me. Keep up the good work bro!

God I winced at this. The only thing that's going to Make America Great Again is for there to ALWAYS be consequences for abuses of power and authoritarian behavior, no matter who is perpetratng it.

I'm Canadian , was visiting New Brunswick, eating in the food park of a mall, asked the couple next to me (in their 30s, black, man and wife, 2 kids about 15 years old) if they knew where a bookshop was. They told me no, because, they were visiting from New Jersey. Aah, visiting relatives, friends? I asked. Their answer to me was, "no, we come here for a weekend every month so the kids can see what's normal." Even 15 years later I vividly remember that. Must be hell for them south of the border.

I'm an American who isn't even black, and have definitely learned to act this way around the cops. Once you have contact with a police officer, the best case scenario at that point is just to survive.

I can honestly say, as a Black American woman, I too get very nervous when a police car is behind me when I'm driving- and I work in an area of law enforcement. But the worst interaction I ever had with a cop came while I waited for a bus. The cop approached me, flirted with me and asked for my number. I respectfully declined ( I was in a relationship at the time). He got nasty with me and said "don't let me catch you in a dark stairwell by yourself". My blood ran cold, all I could do was stare at him, jaw dropped. Then he smiled and said, "I'm just f*%kin with you. Have a nice day!" In my heart, I know he wasn't playing. Because of that experience, I won't even date a cop. And its sad because I know there are plenty of fine officers out there, but Im not taking that chance.