Innocent Man Arrested For Walking While Black–In Beverly Hills
No neighborhood makes it safe for black men to walk along, minding their own business. Charles Belk, a filmmaker who works with the NAACP lost six hours of his life because of the color of his skin (via Crooks and Liars).
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On Friday afternoon, August 22nd around 5:20pm, while innocently walking by myself from a restaurant on Wilshire Blvd, to my car up LaCienega Blvd my freedom was taken from me by the Beverly Hills Police Department.
Within seconds, I was detained and told to sit on the curb of the very busy street, during rush hour traffic.
Within minutes, I was surrounded by 6 police cars, handcuffed very tightly, fully searched for weapons, and placed back on the curb.
Within an hour, I was transported to the Beverly Hills Police Headquarters, photographed, finger printed and put under a $100,000 bail and accused of armed bank robbery and accessory to robbery of a Citibank.
Within an evening, I was wrongly arrested, locked up, denied a phone call, denied explanation of charges against me, denied ever being read my rights, denied being able to speak to my lawyer for a lengthy time, and denied being told that my car had been impounded…..All because I was mis-indentified as the wrong “tall, bald head, black male,” … “fitting the description.”…
I get that the Beverly Hills Police Department didn’t know that I was a well educated American citizen that had received a BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Southern California, an MBA from Indiana University (including a full Consortium Fellowship to business school) and an Executive Leadership Certificate from Harvard Business School. Hey, I was “tall”, “bald”, a “male” and “black”, so I fit the description.
I get that the Beverly Hills Police Department didn’t know that I was a Consultant for the NAACP, a film and tv producer, a previous VP of Marketing for a wireless application company, VP of Integrated Promotions for a marketing agency, ran Community Affairs for the Atlanta Hawks, was the Deputy Director of Olympic Village Operations for the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, was a Test/Quality/Mfg Engineering Manager for IBM and was a Bond Trader on Wall street. Surely, folks that fit the description wouldn’t qualify as any of those…
What I don’t get………WHAT I DON”T GET, is, why, during the 45 minutes that they had me on the curb, handcuffed in the sun, before they locked me up and took away my civil rights, that they could not simply review the ATM and bank’s HD video footage to clearly see that the “tall, bald headed, black male”… did not fit MY description.
Why, at 11:59pm (approximately 6 hours later), was the video footage reviewed only after my request to the Lead Detective for the Beverly Hills Police Department and an FBI Agent to do so, and, after being directly accused by another FBI Special Agent of “…going in and out of the bank several times complaining about the ATM Machine to cause a distraction…” thereby aiding in the armed robbery attempt of a bank that I never heard of, or ever been to; and within 10 minutes……10 MINUTES, my lawyer was told that I was being release because it was clear that it was not me.[su_sky_ad]
Abby Normal August 25th, 2014 at 9:25 am
There must be some legal action this man can take against these buffoons?
Yenta August 25th, 2014 at 9:34 am
I sure hope so.
M D Reese August 25th, 2014 at 12:02 pm
He’s certainly well-connected to do so.
jasperjava August 25th, 2014 at 9:31 am
Hey, he should be thankful that he didn’t get six bullets pumped into him.
Larry Schmitt August 25th, 2014 at 9:42 am
Unfortunately that’s too true to be funny.
Eric Trommater August 25th, 2014 at 9:55 am
The culture of fear ,that keeps gun sales up and fills our citizens with mistrust of the institutions meant to protect us, is only heightened by incidents like this. We have more police on the street and less crime than at any time in my life and yet in NY they can’t seem to stop someone from selling loosies without strangling him to death. In Ferguson they can’t stop a jay walker without shooting him dead and leaving his body in the street for four hours. In BH they can’t investigate an armed robbery without holding the first bald black man they see for 6 hours. In America as a whole we can’t keep crime at a low level without locking up 2.3 million of our citizens. These incidents are on us as citizens who are demanding steps like this to make us feel safe. No one wants to go back to the dark days of the 80’s and early 90’s when crime was so rampant but it is time we rethought the costs and demanded justice instead of feel good crime fighting messures.
Gindy51 August 25th, 2014 at 1:39 pm
I tell you, it’s divide and conquer. It’s been going on on for millennia and it will never stop. Keep each segment of society fighting and hating on each other while the powers that be rob us blind.
raincheck August 25th, 2014 at 4:39 pm
Here’s a quote from David Simon…..”And so in my country you’re seeing a horror show. You’re seeing a
retrenchment in terms of family income, you’re seeing the abandonment of
basic services, such as public education, functional public education.
You’re seeing the underclass hunted through an alleged war on dangerous
drugs that is in fact merely a war on the poor and has turned us into
the most incarcerative state in the history of mankind, in terms of the
sheer numbers of people we’ve put in American prisons and the percentage
of Americans we put into prisons. No other country on the face of the
Earth jails people at the number and rate that we are.”
trees August 26th, 2014 at 1:09 pm
“In America as a whole we can’t keep crime at a low level without locking up 2.3 million of our citizens. These incidents are on us as citizens who are demanding steps like this to make us feel safe.”
So it’s my fault when somebody else breaks a law.
“No one wants to go back to the dark days of the 80’s and early 90’s when crime was so rampant but it is time we rethought the costs and demanded justice instead of feel good crime fighting messures.”
???
Eric Trommater August 26th, 2014 at 1:38 pm
If that is the trade off you are willing to make, more power to you. I don’t think the threat of loosie ciggerette sales and jaywalking is so bad in this country that it justifies militarized police forces or executions on our public streets. Crime is half what it was in1992. That is across the board. We have a larger and larger police force prosecuting more and more crimes while fewer are being comitted. Property crime is now being handled with the same prison sentances as violent crime. That is the trade off. In order for voters to feel safe and elected officials to look tough.
We have to send people to prison for years of their lives over petty drug offenses. Without the drug offenders behind bars politicians could no longer brag about the huge incarceration rates. Without these gentrification laws in our major cities the police cannot justify their budgets. That is feel good crime fighting. That does not keep our streets safe. That only keeps politicians in office.
trees August 26th, 2014 at 1:56 pm
“Crime is half what it was in1992. That is across the board. We have a larger and larger police force prosecuting more and more crimes while fewer are being comitted.”
Why do we have fewer crimes being committed? Half as many crimes are being committed, while we have had a what?
An increase in enforcement.
See how that works?
More enforcement lowers the incidence rate.
And you want to do what, exactly?
Reduce enforcement.
What would be the result of reduced enforcement?
Crime rates would increase.
crc3 August 25th, 2014 at 9:57 am
Probably none of these f*cking cops will apologize or be held accountable for this travesty. Revolution is coming if this kind of stuff doesn’t stop soon. It is out of control people!!
M D Reese August 25th, 2014 at 12:01 pm
They ARE about to have a nice documentary filmed about them though…
William August 25th, 2014 at 10:05 am
They sure do things different out there on the west coast. Here is how I used to do it. If I thought I had a suspect, but wasn’t 100 percent sure. 1. Place him in the back of the cruiser. It’s climate controlled and leaving suspects on the sidewalk just draws a crowd and invites problems.
2. Miranda.
3. Explain what’s going on. Get the suspects story. If he’s the bad guy the story will usually set off a BS detector right away. If it’s a good guy then verify the alibi. and that’s done….. by…
4. Drive the suspect to the witnesses/complainants or have another unit transport the witnesses/complainants to your location to identify the suspect.
badda-bing badda-boom. It’s not brain surgery.
tiredoftea August 25th, 2014 at 11:54 am
Well, obviously your policing skills are deficient as you didn’t beat them or shoot them. Asked to retire, eh?
William August 25th, 2014 at 1:07 pm
Naw…at 55 I decided to stop working two jobs and just work one part time job that has nothing to do with law enforcement. I haven’t heard of anyone on their death bed saying “gee I wish I would have worked more”. Grandchildren are an eye opener.
tiredoftea August 25th, 2014 at 1:21 pm
Good on ya!
Carla Akins August 25th, 2014 at 1:26 pm
Magical creatures, aren’t they?
KatieAnnieOakley August 25th, 2014 at 2:06 pm
Here’s the problem – you said:
” If I thought I had a suspect, but wasn’t 100 percent sure…”
The cops that picked up Mr. Belk were sure – after all, he fit the description.
They. were. sure. they. had. the. right. bad. guy. After all – he “fit the description.”
Therefore, they tossed protocol out the window. They didn’t Miranda him. They put him on “display” – much as the cops in Ferguson left that young man dead in the street for over 4 hours as a “display”. No phone call for hours.
To read the full FB post by Mr. Belk – go here:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152352367158207&set=a.37860328206.51697.543298206&type=1&permPage=1
trees August 25th, 2014 at 10:52 pm
If you’re suspect was wanted for shoplifting in bug tussle ME, then sure, your 1,2,3,4 approach would be the way to go.
But, this was a suspect in an armed bank robbery….
“Within an hour, I was transported to the Beverly Hills Police Headquarters, photographed, finger printed and put under a $100,000 bail and accused of armed bank robbery and accessory to robbery of a Citibank.”
And was later cleared back at the station after the FBI had a chance to question him. Yes, funny thing, the FBI was involved, he was a suspect in a what? Armed bank robbery….
The patrolmen at the scene lacked the authority to make the call. They had to play CYA, can you imagine what would have happened if they had picked up a suspect matching the description and then decided to release him based on their own evaluation of the suspect and the situation?
William August 26th, 2014 at 8:55 am
If you’re suspect was wanted for shoplifting in bug tussle ME, then sure, your 1,2,3,4 approach would be the way to go.
But, this was a suspect in an armed bank robbery
No he wasn’t
trees August 26th, 2014 at 12:26 pm
But, this was a suspect in an armed bank robbery
No he wasn’t
“Within an hour, I was transported to the Beverly Hills Police Headquarters, photographed, finger printed and put under a $100,000 bail and accused of armed bank robbery and accessory to robbery of a Citibank.”
Yes, he was.
William August 26th, 2014 at 1:22 pm
If you call being cuffed and set on a sidewalk good police work, then I hope you’re ok with it when it happens to you.
trees August 26th, 2014 at 8:54 pm
If I fit the description of an armed bank robber and the cops detained me, cuffed me, and set me on the sidewalk I’d be alright with it. I wouldn’t be happy, but I’d understand what was going on.
mea_mark August 25th, 2014 at 10:40 am
Charles Belk should make a short film about this. This illustrates nicely what is going on in America.
M D Reese August 25th, 2014 at 12:00 pm
I’m thinking he will…
Denise August 25th, 2014 at 11:11 am
Can we all say LAWSUIT?
USCITIZENS August 25th, 2014 at 11:43 am
Whites owe Blacks nothing and Blacks owe Whites nothing. That being said this cop is obviously mentally disturbed. Now the biggest race hustler (Don Lemon) will be able to call Jessie Jackson, Alfred Sharpton and a civil rights attorney and sue the mentally ill officer. My Great, Great, Great, Great grandfather fought to free the slaves. How many of you commenting can say that? CNN does have a history of stirring the racial pot, but CNN did apparently miss the chant by the Black Panthers “How do we want Officer Wilson? DEAD). All this constant coverage of Ferguson will do is further divide White and Black people. CNN tells one side of every story to remain relevant. They are just above MSNBC in ratings for a reason (Communist News Network). In 2012 there was a White Police officer in Indianapolis, the man who shot him in the face was Black. CNN was no where to be found, Sharpton, Jackson, The Black Panthers, all hiding in their homes. Did White people riot, steal, loot, march, no. White people do not have time or the desire to get involved in violent protests. If any person marching is on welfare, they should use my tax dollars much better. Obama, Holder are leading our country back to the 1960’s and Black people will not like that too much. I am puzzled by how some people think it is okay to steal from someone else and see nothing wrong with it. Just like this police officer, all people who take other peoples things (Steal) are mentally ill. They are not owed anything to live in America. All those convicted of stealing should have all government assistance cut off. Yep, in America people should never break into a business and steal things.
tiredoftea August 25th, 2014 at 11:56 am
Congratulations on keeping yourself from using caps lock! Next, try posting to the correct thread.
R.J. Carter August 25th, 2014 at 11:57 am
Baby steps.
USCITIZENS August 25th, 2014 at 12:21 pm
Thank You Tiresoftea, Alan Colmes has so many bugs, pasting a similar post to dodge his infected website was my first choice. I sad by every death of a young person, arrest of any person. Color is not a reason for arrest, being an agitator is. I have been pulled over, had my car searched, but never been arrested. I am White and managed to respect the police when confronted. I was told when I applied to be a police officer, only ten percent of white males will be hired if they pass the test. I passed and was not hired. I did not complain, I joined the U.S. Army and served my country anyway. I am very concerned about the double standard for civilians compared to the military concerning interactions between Blacks and Whites.
tiredoftea August 25th, 2014 at 12:41 pm
OK, so the rest of us manage to post to the correct thread every time. Perhaps it’s something you are doing wrong, hard as that might be to believe.
USCITIZENS August 25th, 2014 at 1:20 pm
Tired of Tea, You must be much smarter than me, might even be perfect :). Glad the education you received helped you to avoid the hick-ups on this website. I love educated people who throw darts like they will not be picked up by the Infidel. LMAO! You must have a lot of time on your hands, either a college professor or someone collecting assistance and looking for a battle of whits. Oh darn it, I have a tea party meeting to go to. TTYL.
Anomaly 100 August 25th, 2014 at 1:26 pm
You’re done here. Go back to Free Republic.
ChrisVosburg August 25th, 2014 at 1:53 pm
USCITIZENS writes: Tired of Tea, You must be much smarter than me
Course, he could say that about pretty much anyone, hee hee.
Anomaly 100 August 25th, 2014 at 4:52 pm
But his name is in caps so he’s super-smart.
Larry Schmitt August 25th, 2014 at 5:40 pm
And he proves it every time he posts.
Kendal Chandler August 25th, 2014 at 1:55 pm
??
raincheck August 25th, 2014 at 2:25 pm
“looking for a battle of whits” [sic] lol… perfect
Larry Schmitt August 25th, 2014 at 6:20 pm
It’s as good as the “moran” meme.
Larry Schmitt August 25th, 2014 at 6:20 pm
It’s as good as the “moran” meme.
William August 25th, 2014 at 2:52 pm
for a battle of whits???
Classic.
raincheck August 25th, 2014 at 4:34 pm
lol
Anomaly 100 August 25th, 2014 at 1:11 pm
“this infected website”
‘
I can resolve this problem for you. Just don’t come back.
Larry Schmitt August 25th, 2014 at 5:40 pm
All these libruls must be some kinda virus or sumpin.
KatieAnnieOakley August 25th, 2014 at 1:55 pm
You’re just a victim. Poor you. Life is more than passing a test…
William August 25th, 2014 at 2:42 pm
had my car searched, …
You consented to a vehicle search?
I’d never do that.
raincheck August 25th, 2014 at 4:32 pm
You have bad “Punktuation” throughout your entire post.
whatthe46 August 25th, 2014 at 6:18 pm
you lie like a big dog. LOL!!! futhemore, you’ve got some serious issues. and white people loot and commit violence when they win a soccer game or baseball game (great cause). people who steal aren’t mentally ill either. if everyone who stole should have government assistance cut off, then lawmakers would be out of a job, because its the tax payers who’s footing their salaries and they commit crimes everyday. and why do white people think sharpton or jackson or the black panthers should have inolvement with every issue around the country? the thing is you have absolutely no clue as to what their rolls are and that fact means you’re an ignorant ass! and it’s not my job to educate you. big racist.
whatthe46 August 25th, 2014 at 6:18 pm
you lie like a big dog. LOL!!! futhemore, you’ve got some serious issues. and white people loot and commit violence when they win a soccer game or baseball game (great cause). people who steal aren’t mentally ill either. if everyone who stole should have government assistance cut off, then lawmakers would be out of a job, because its the tax payers who’s footing their salaries and they commit crimes everyday. and why do white people think sharpton or jackson or the black panthers should have inolvement with every issue around the country? the thing is you have absolutely no clue as to what their rolls are and that fact means you’re an ignorant ass! and it’s not my job to educate you. big racist.
Jeff Allen August 25th, 2014 at 12:52 pm
If the BOLO was for a tall, (white, Asian, Hispanic, etc.), bald male and and the wrong tall, (white, Asian, Hispanic, etc.), bald male had been detained under the same circumstances, would it be racism? Would there even be an article? Would the title be man arrested for walking while (white, Asian, Hispanic, etc.)? He fit a description, he was wrongly detained, he just happened to be a tall, bald, black male as did the actual perpetrator. Be mad at the tall, black, bald, male perpetrator for putting the police in the position of having to look for a tall, black, bald male. Skin color is a legitimate element of a BOLO, stop making race the central issue every time someone is wronged. Mr. Belk has recourse just as a wrongly detained person of any color has recourse, crying racism isn’t doing anything but further inflaming racial tension and doing zero to eliminate it.
tiredoftea August 25th, 2014 at 1:24 pm
“If the BOLO was for a tall, (white, Asian, Hispanic, etc.), bald male and and the wrong tall, (white, Asian, Hispanic, etc.), bald male had been detained under the same circumstances, would it be racism?” “Big IF” going on there. Got any others?
Carla Akins August 25th, 2014 at 1:24 pm
Can you provide me with an example of when this happened to a white man? It happens daily to folks of color. Failure or refusal to acknowledge this happens way too often is silent endorsement.
ChrisVosburg August 25th, 2014 at 1:38 pm
Jeff writes: Mr. Belk has recourse just as a wrongly detained person of any color has recourse, crying racism isn’t doing anything but further inflaming racial tension and doing zero to eliminate it.
Actually, it’s because of people like you, Jeff, who are in denial of the reality of racial discrimination, that Mr Belk is making a public record of his experience– to teach you something you refuse to acknowledge.
Which to you, of course, is “inflaming racial tension.”
Kendal Chandler August 25th, 2014 at 1:52 pm
And what are you doing to eliminate racism? Ignoring it?
raincheck August 25th, 2014 at 2:06 pm
If you’re going to take someones freedom away from them, shouldn’t you at least check to see if the man you “detained” was the same man in the video at the bank? There are a lot of black folks that are well aware of the fact that the Police, “stop and frisk” “pull you over” “stop you in the streets” at a much higher rate than other ethnic groups.. perhaps THAT is why it appears somewhat RACIST!… And to top it all off there’s THIS…”Within an evening, I was wrongly arrested, locked up, denied a phone
call, denied explanation of charges against me, denied ever being read
my rights, denied being able to speak to my lawyer for a lengthy time,
and denied being told that my car had been impounded”… It might..just might have something to do with the anger issue
Edward Ayres August 25th, 2014 at 2:06 pm
Jesus, you are clueless. If all of the conditions you described about it being a white person who robbed the bank caused you to be detained and treated the way this man way you’d be screaming from the rooftops. The description of the bank robber fit thousands of black men. He was singled out because he was a black man walking in a predominately white neighborhood, so his race was a factor. There needs to be a better way to treat people who happen to fit a description of a criminal, especially when that criminal description is so broad. That’s what you should be arguing for, not playing your own version of the race card. If anyone is inflaming the situation it is you.
Dana Norwood August 25th, 2014 at 2:18 pm
“He fit a description………..”
No he didn’t! This whole “he fit a description” bull is nothing more than law enforcement’s excuse to racially profile! And too further bolster my claim look at Ferguson MO. The excuse given for stopping and the subsequent the shooting death of M. Brown was “He fit the description of the person who reportedly just robbed a convenience store”, but no such report was filed!
Call it what it is, RACIAL PROFILING and only call it that because that’s exactly what it is.
Mark Hightower August 25th, 2014 at 3:30 pm
So, We ALL look alike?! You’re disgusting.
Ignatz August 25th, 2014 at 6:23 pm
[If the BOLO was for a tall, (white, Asian, Hispanic, etc.), bald male
and and the wrong tall, (white, Asian, Hispanic, etc.), bald male had
been detained under the same circumstances, would it be racism? Would
there even be an article?]
Would there even be an arrest?
Read the article: he’s not complaining about being detained and questioned. He’s complaining about them going further and LOCKING HIM UP without bothering to take an ounce of trouble to be sure they had the right guy.
Ignatz August 25th, 2014 at 6:23 pm
[If the BOLO was for a tall, (white, Asian, Hispanic, etc.), bald male
and and the wrong tall, (white, Asian, Hispanic, etc.), bald male had
been detained under the same circumstances, would it be racism? Would
there even be an article?]
Would there even be an arrest?
Read the article: he’s not complaining about being detained and questioned. He’s complaining about them going further and LOCKING HIM UP without bothering to take an ounce of trouble to be sure they had the right guy.
voice_reason August 25th, 2014 at 1:17 pm
and white people still wonder why black males are just a little angry and frustrated?
greenfloyd August 26th, 2014 at 2:33 am
I respectfully disagree, I think most Americans, white and black, understand very well why black communities like Feguson, MO, are angry and frustrated. Especially in relation to the police and a criminal justice system that’s seriously out of balance.
Be that as it may and regardless the over-dramatic, race baiting title, in this case there is no indication racism was a factor in detaining Mr. Belk.
jasperjava August 26th, 2014 at 6:29 am
A lot of white people are completely clueless about the frustration of the Black community. You see it in the contempt that FOXbots have shown towards the Ferguson protests.
You also see it in the smug reaction of whites who refuse to see the blatant racism of racially profiling Mr. Belk and treating him like a criminal, simply because he is a Black man walking on a Beverly Hills street. Do you think they would have handcuffed a white suspect and made him sit on a curb for 45 minutes, just to humiliate him? This is the modern-day equivalent of medieval stocks, and it’s treatment reserved for second-class citizens who don’t have the right skin color.
greenfloyd August 26th, 2014 at 10:41 am
In a case of armed bank robbery I would hope the cops would detain anyone who fit the description. There’s no “racial profiling” in this case, even Mr. Belk admits he fit the description.
trees August 26th, 2014 at 12:56 pm
“Do you think they would have handcuffed a white suspect and made him sit on a curb for 45 minutes, just to humiliate him?”
You are clearly deranged. They didn’t handcuff him and sit him on the curb for the purpose of “humiliating him”, he was a suspect in a crime. He fit the description. The suspect was tall, he was tall, the suspect was bald, he was bald, the suspect was just in the vicinity, he was in the vicinity, and the suspect was….
*gasp*
Black.
But you’re probably right, if a white guy had just robbed a bank they wouldn’t have cared.
jasperjava August 26th, 2014 at 1:39 pm
If you think that cops treat Black suspects equally as they do white suspects, you are delusional.
If Belk had been white, he would not have been treated in this degrading way.
greenfloyd August 27th, 2014 at 1:54 am
Remember the police are only one cog in very big wheel run by the local and state political establishment that makes the law they are ordered to enforce. I think most cops do believe in equality under the law. And some law enforcement veterans are rebelling against the longstanding insitutuional racism and counter-productive drug laws. Alan just had a member of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition on his show talking about the need to legalize hard drugs.
voice_reason August 26th, 2014 at 8:38 am
where the racism came into play is that they were in no hurry to view at the video; they did not read him his rights, and in essence felt it was OK to leave this guy hanging for hours with no due process
greenfloyd August 26th, 2014 at 10:08 am
I think you may be rushing to judgment in this particular case. We have not gotten the police side of the story, other than they arrested a man who fit the description of an armed bank robber.
Further it does not appear Mr. Belk was denied due process and was able to call his lawyer and when cleared he was released unharmed, except perhaps for a bruised ego.
trees August 26th, 2014 at 12:51 pm
This may come as a shock to you, but, police can detain you without charging you for something like 48 hours in Cali.
http://blogs.findlaw.com/blotter/2012/07/how-long-can-you-be-held-without-charges.html
Just how long can the police hold you without charging you? Arrestees cannot be held without charges for an unreasonable amount of time but that time period differs between states.
On TV shows about the law, the camera shows the arrest and then the accused being told what he’s charged with, but it doesn’t often show the process in between.
Police can’t bring charges against a suspect. Only a prosecutor has the ability to charge a person with a crime.
It may take some time after an arrest before charges are made. But how long can they hold you before there is a violation of your rights?
In most states, prosecutors have up to 72 hours to bring charges. But certain states, including California, give prosecutors only 48 hours before they must file charges or release the suspect.
Shades August 25th, 2014 at 2:12 pm
Meanwhile, in TX, a woman and her four young children are pulled over and ordered out of the car at gunpoint, the mother then handcuffed in front of the kids. The only similarity to the suspects was the color of their skin. The real suspects were driving a tan Toyota. She was driving a red Nissan. Click the link to see the 6-year-old come out of the car with his arms up, no gun, don’t shoot! http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2014/08/25/3475205/dash-cam-shows-cops-pull-over-car-of-four-children-with-guns-drawn/
Bunya August 25th, 2014 at 2:20 pm
This is an everyday occurrence where I live. A black person walking in a predominantly black Chicago neighborhood will most likely be scrutinized. But the same black person walking in one of the north shore suburbs will, most definitely, get arrested – for walking in an upscale white neighborhood.
Guy Lauten August 25th, 2014 at 2:56 pm
He “fit the descrition”; yeah, he was a black man in Beverly Hills. And then he had the temerity to commit the one crime they won’t abide down there: he was walking (gasp!). I’m an old, long-haired hippie and have been repeatedly “pulled over” for questioning in lots of LA’s rich, white districts. Apparently walking in Southern California automatically makes one suspect, and Walking While Black in BevHills??? Heaven forbid. The rich assholes who live there really like their cops doing just what they did, I guarantee you. It starts at the top.
trees August 25th, 2014 at 3:22 pm
“No neighborhood makes it safe for black men to walk along, minding their own business.”
I’m not sure what this means. Are you trying to say that it is unsafe to walk anywhere in public, if you’re black?
“Charles Belk, a filmmaker who works with the NAACP lost six hours of his life because of the color of his skin”
Hmm…
“All because I was mis-indentified as the wrong “tall, bald head, black male,” … “fitting the description.”…”
Fitting the description.
So, let’s review. (If) a crime (had not) been committed, (then), there would have been (no) detainment.
So, that means that anyone fitting the description would necessarily be a person of interest.
I’m not seeing racism here.
Police misconduct?
Perhaps.
cecilia August 25th, 2014 at 4:24 pm
because they made little attempt to get the video which SHOWED that they had the wrong guy
bellero August 25th, 2014 at 5:17 pm
Sitting on a curb in the hot sun for 45 minutes… public humiliation and potential dehydration and/or heat stroke.
And you say “Police misconduct? Perhaps.”???
trees August 25th, 2014 at 8:41 pm
The cops detain suspects, making sure you’re comfortably relaxed isn’t high on the list of priorities.
Public humiliation? Sometimes you’re gonna fit the description of someone who’s committed a crime, and you’re gonna get stopped. Get over it.
“dehydration and/or heat stroke”
If you start displaying/complaining of symptoms consistent with heat stroke they’re going to get you medical attention. If they fail to do so, that would be police misconduct.
Without witnessing the events firsthand I am unable to state one way or the other if police misconduct is an issue. We have the statement from Mr Belk, and I’m not really seeing anything that shows the cops acting improperly. They stopped him, questioned him and took him in, and then released him when they cleared him as a suspect.
It would seem Mr Belk’s complaint is that he was considered a suspect.
jasperjava August 25th, 2014 at 9:26 pm
“I’m not really seeing anything that shows the cops acting improperly.”
Oh really?
You really think that if Mr. Belk had been white, they would have treated him the same way?
You approve of race-based humiliation? Of course you do. White supremacy is the core value of conservatism.
trees August 25th, 2014 at 9:48 pm
“You approve of race-based humiliation? Of course you do. White supremacy is the core value of conservatism.”
Race based humiliation? He was picked up because he matched the description of a suspect. His race was only a factor in that he matched the description of the suspect. There weren’t a lot of other bald, tall, black guys in the neighborhood at the time….it is Beverly Hills, remember?
If the cops had been looking for a Mexican suspect, or a whithe suspect, or an Asian suspect, and had stopped and picked up Mr Belk because they believed he must also be involved somehow, you know, seeing that Mr Belk is black, then you would have an argument.
That’s not the case here.
“Of course you do. White supremacy is the core value of conservatism.”
Are you mentally deranged? What nonsense do you charge black conservatives with? Could you not also say that, “black supremacy is the core value of conservatism?”
How about, “black supremacy is the core value of liberalism”??
JJ, you’re really “out there”, please seek some help
jasperjava August 25th, 2014 at 10:49 pm
Black conservatives are also white supremacists. Some of them are just less conscious of it than others. All conservative policy and philosophy exists for the sole purpose of preserving white privilege.
Case in point is your belief that the opposite of white supremacy is black supremacy. No, the opposite of white supremacist ideology (also known as conservatism) is racial equality, which is a defining feature of liberalism.
trees August 26th, 2014 at 12:17 am
“Case in point is your belief that the opposite of white supremacy is black supremacy. No, the opposite of white supremacist ideology (also known as conservatism) is racial equality, which is a defining feature of liberalism.”
Wha??? My belief that the opposite of white supremacy is black supremacy? I am not a white supremacist, and I should flag your offensive attack. I simply asked a question, trying to follow your logic here. You falsely asserted that I’m a “white supremacist” because of my conservative views….I asked some questions along that vein, whew, you are a real nut job…..
jasperjava August 26th, 2014 at 1:39 am
Don’t be offended, you’re in good company. ALL conservatives defend white supremacy. Racism is deeply embedded in conservatism’s DNA. It’s inescapable.
The only solution, of course, is to stop bring conservative, and to consign that odious ideology to the dustbin of history where it belongs.
trees August 25th, 2014 at 9:58 pm
“You really think that if Mr. Belk had been white, they would have treated him the same way?”
Of course. If the suspect was identified as a tall, bald, white male, yada, yada, then yes. Anyone matching the description would be detained and questioned. Now, this might come as a surprise to you, but that’s what cops do. Cops apprehend suspects.
whatthe46 August 25th, 2014 at 6:01 pm
if a bank robbery had occured and it was by a white guy in a business suit with blonde hair… how many of those white men with blonde hair fitting that exact description would the police have stopped and sat on a curb and arrested while violating their civil rights? NOT a damn one! that’s why white serial killers and rapist get away for so long. oh, he look just like us. DENNIS RADER (BTK). another serial killer/rapist stated that he would walk into a diner and sit and conversate with cops, even though he knew they were looking for him, but because he “fit” in with other white people they never gave him a second glance.
trees August 25th, 2014 at 8:28 pm
“if a bank robbery had occured and it was by a white guy in a business suit with blonde hair… how many of those white men with blonde hair fitting that exact description would the police have stopped and sat on a curb and arrested while violating their civil rights?”
Cops detain suspects. This is not a “violation of my civil rights”, I’ve been stopped and detained. I’ve been “a person of interest in an investigation”, I’ve spent the entire day in an interview with detectives before. I’ve got news for you, they weren’t polite and it wasn’t fun.
Now, let’s look at the situation, there was a crime committed in an area that doesn’t have a large number of folks matching the description of the suspect, therefore it should not have been a big surprise to Mr Belk that he was picked up.
In your opinion, should the cops have picked up Mr Belk?
I can see it now, “hey look, there’s someone who fits the description of the suspect that’s wanted”
“yeah, whatever, I don’t think that’s the guy we’re looking for. Keep looking…”
whatthe46 August 25th, 2014 at 10:16 pm
i think you missed my point completely and it didn’t look like an investigation into the matter was done but an assumption into guilt right off the bat. handcuffed ad arrested first.
trees August 25th, 2014 at 10:37 pm
Cops don’t try the case, they apprehend and process suspects. Interviews are conducted by detectives. Mr Belk was cleared and released at the police station within 6 hours of being picked up. I’m not really sure what your objection is. Are you upset that the arresting patrolman didn’t play detective? Are you upset that the detectives didn’t rush to the scene and examine the tapes on the spot? Help me out here, what is it exactly that you’re objecting to?
whatthe46 August 25th, 2014 at 11:21 pm
cops don’t try the case? ask martin (unarmed and profiled and murdered by a wanna be cop) if he was afforded that luxury? ask brown if he was afforded the luxury of anything considering he wasn’t a suspect in anything, ask the guy who was choked to death if he was afforded the luxury of due process ask the guy in walmart who was murdered for handling a toy gun in the toy department if he was afforded the same luxury of anything when he did nothing wrong, then get back to me. oh, you can’t inquire, they’re dead.
Yenta August 26th, 2014 at 9:54 am
Some cops do try the case…judge, jury, and executioners:
http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Court-cops-don-t-have-immunity-for-killer-raid-5711350.php
trees August 26th, 2014 at 12:45 pm
The whole event lasted 6 hours. He was a suspect in an armed bank robbery. Why don’t you tell me exactly how this should have been handled? The FBI is the authority in charge in an armed bank robbery, are you seriously asserting that they should have rushed to clear this man, who fit the description of a suspect, rather than diligently, and carefully, and thoroughly checking him out?
Beverly Hills PD; “hey, we just picked up a black suspect who may be involved in an armed bank robbery”
FBI agent; (not sure which one we need here, but we’ll put the first one we can get on the phone,k?, here he is), “My God man, are you sure? Listen, I need to get over there right now so we can make sure he’s innocent. Ask the suspect if he’s comfortable, perhaps get him a glass of iced tea, is there anywhere air conditioned that he can relax while he’s waiting for me to get over there and clear him?, and make sure those handcuffs are not on too tight and uncomfortable, you didn’t point a gun at him, did you? Oh man, alright, listen I’m en-route to your location now, I’ll be there as quickly as possible “
William August 26th, 2014 at 1:45 pm
if he’s comfortable, perhaps get him a glass of iced tea, is there anywhere air conditioned that he can relax while he’s waiting for me to get over there and clear him?,
Yes actually the back seat of that cruiser. He’s secure, not roasting in the heat, and you are not drawing a crowd.
Too tight handcuffs are a huge liability.
In my country people are innocent until proven guilty. They are innocent until a court says otherwise.
Establishing probably cause could have gone a lot quicker if the victims/witnesses were bought in for an identification.
BTW, ice tea and/or coffee is precisely the preferred beverages to offer someone whom you are about to question.
The fundamental difference is this.
If you treat the person with the same respect you’d want your loved ones to be treated in this situation you wind up with someone who is a whole lot less likely to sue you.
trees August 26th, 2014 at 2:08 pm
“Yes actually the back seat of that cruiser. He’s secure, not roasting in the heat, and you are not drawing a crowd.”
I don’t disagree, but let’s consider where we’re at and at what time. Beverly Hills at 1720 hours. Temps were probably in the 70’s, he sat on the curb for all of 45 minutes, and there was no crowd gathered.
“Establishing probably cause could have gone a lot quicker if the victims/witnesses were bought in for an identification.”
He matched the description of the suspect, it wasn’t the Beverly Hills PD patrolman’s job, neither was it the Highway patrolman’s job, nor the job of the cop’s in the town next door, to clear the suspect at the scene…. the FBI are involved, and the agents have the duty to check him out, thoroughly. They did this….
“If you treat the person with the same respect you’d want your loved ones to be treated in this situation you wind up with someone who is a whole lot less likely to sue you.”
Sue them for what, exactly?
trees August 26th, 2014 at 2:12 pm
“Too tight handcuffs are a huge liability.”
And we know the handcuffs were too tight how? Cause the suspect complained?
Do we have any medical reports documenting injuries?
Good luck with your lawsuit.
William August 26th, 2014 at 2:33 pm
Do you enjoy being so misinformed, or are you just such a pathetic badge licker that you’re blind to the history of custody induced injuries?
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/11/prweb4756994.htm
trees August 26th, 2014 at 2:40 pm
Ok, I thought we were talking about Mr Belk here and his outrage over being a suspect in a crime, my bad.
Ignatz August 25th, 2014 at 6:20 pm
[“All because I was mis-indentified as the wrong “tall, bald head, black male,” … “fitting the description.”…”
Fitting the description.]
Why didn’t they look at the damned video before locking someone in a cage?
Are they such total morons that they don’t KNOW that more than one person can fit a general description?
Ignatz August 25th, 2014 at 6:20 pm
[“All because I was mis-indentified as the wrong “tall, bald head, black male,” … “fitting the description.”…”
Fitting the description.]
Why didn’t they look at the damned video before locking someone in a cage?
Are they such total morons that they don’t KNOW that more than one person can fit a general description?
Shades August 25th, 2014 at 7:10 pm
Easy for you to say.
pmbalele August 25th, 2014 at 4:18 pm
I think TEA Partiers must encouraging and enabling these racist cops to behave so. When will White racist police officers learn that Blacks have a right to live in this Country like Whites? Day -in day -out we are hearing such sad news -Blacks stopped for driving or walking while Black. Can’t somebody sensitive these morons? I am telling these racist cops that it’s now too late – Blacks have equal rights just like them or other Whites living in this country. I hope this guy is going to sue these morons -big time.
whatthe46 August 25th, 2014 at 6:05 pm
we have a black president, GOD forbid this guy is/was: Consultant for the NAACP, a film and tv producer, a previous VP of Marketing for a wireless application company, VP of Integrated Promotions for a marketing agency, ran Community Affairs for the Atlanta Hawks, was the Deputy Director of Olympic Village Operations for the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, was a Test/Quality/Mfg Engineering Manager for IBM and was a Bond Trader on Wall street. for some people the notion of 2 Black American Men having an education is far too overwhelming.
whatthe46 August 25th, 2014 at 6:22 pm
sounds like he and Eric Beauchamp should get together and produce a documentary.
whatthe46 August 25th, 2014 at 6:22 pm
sounds like he and Eric Beauchamp should get together and produce a documentary.
greenfloyd August 26th, 2014 at 12:40 am
It reads to me Beverly Hills cops did their job and there does not appear to be any overt racism involved. It was apparently an unfortunate coincidence that Charles Belk was in the search area and fit the description given for an armed bank robber, a potentially dangerous suspect. That it took 6 hours to clear Mr. Belk does not seem excessive given the circumstances, and possible consequences of mistakenly releasing a violent criminal.
jasperjava August 26th, 2014 at 8:10 am
I find it interesting that some white people tolerate mistreatment like this when it happens to Black people, when they would scream bloody murder if it happened to them, or another white person.
greenfloyd August 26th, 2014 at 9:07 am
I do not see any “mistreatment” in this particular case.
Jesse Riley August 26th, 2014 at 5:46 pm
You’re kidding, right?
Quinn Roundy August 26th, 2014 at 9:18 pm
I personally detest what police are doing these days and what they get away with. They are becoming more violent and more like criminals themselves. But in this case, I don’t see that. I’ve been thru the same thing, mistaken idenity for a violent crime….and I’m white as they come. It’s sad but true that mistaken identity happens, but the real problem here is that because he was black, we have to make a big deal of it. If it was a white man nobody would’ve said anything. And in this case (taking only from what I read) the police didn’t tase him, didn’t tackle him, didn’t fire at him, didn’t violent beat him. He spent 6 hours, I spend 3 days and had to fight to have the video evidence reviewed only by a judge before they released me. The prosecutor actually tried to have the video removed from evidence in my case, and I asked the judge to review the tape himself first and then it could be removed from the case….luckily the judge did and then immediately released me. My case never made any blogs, or newspapers to television…..
greenfloyd August 26th, 2014 at 10:59 pm
I like a good joke as much as the next person. However in this case, I am not “kidding.” Don’t be fooled by the race-baiting title that’s been attached to this story. Please read this follow-up published today by 83.9 KPCC.
lifeisgreat46 August 26th, 2014 at 11:29 pm
Of course you don’t. I have 9 DWB’s, but I haven’t been arrest like Mr. Belk. White people can’t even begin to understand that even in your own hood, you are not allow to stand on your own corner and have a talk with friends.
Like Mr. Belk said, what could have took a few minutes to make sure he wasn’t the guy, took 6 hrs.
greenfloyd August 26th, 2014 at 11:55 pm
I am sorry if you are victim of racial profiling by the police, perhaps it explains your lack of objectivity in this case. All things considered, especially the id by an eye witness, 6 hours of detention was far less than the 48 hours they could have held him on suspicion alone.
Dana Norwood August 27th, 2014 at 3:35 pm
Of course not! Not until the shoe is on the other foot!
greenfloyd August 27th, 2014 at 10:22 pm
Actually it’s Summer and I’m bare-foot’n it… 🙂