Chat with Metro officers an eye-opener

By W.G. Ramirez

LAS VEGAS -- This story was written and sent to my web designer for the launch of my site several weeks ago.

The final touches - polishing of the site and what not - were taking place, and I was ready to go live on Sept. 21.

The publish button, however, escaped me because of wanton endangerment.

In case you haven't paid attention, let's recap...

Louisville banned no-knock warrants after Breonna Taylor's body was riddled with bullets while police officers busted into her apartment using a no-knock warrant. They say they knocked. Didn't matter. Taylor was asleep until a batterram-style approach woke her up. The bullets put her back to sleep - for good.

Taylor's family was paid for a wrongful death that nobody has been charged with, but former Louisville police officer Brett Hankison has been charged with three counts of wanton endangerment because the bullets that didn't kill Taylor were a threat to a neighboring apartment.

But hey, all cops are not bad.

GOOD VS. BAD

Realistically, they’re not. But that narrative has grown old, and is wearing on folks for good reason.

Black America fully understands all cops are not bad. But rather than jamming that down their throats every time a Black life is taken unnecessarily, they'd like accountability.

They'd like to see humanity and a change in the treatment of all people.

It's why people are protesting. It's why professional athletes have taken multiple stands, including WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson, her teammates and league-wide peers, or Vegas Golden Knights forward Ryan Reaves, who led a two-day sit-out in the Edmonton bubble during the NHL Playoffs.

People are angry.

"I hate that Breonna Taylor didn't get justice," Wilson said during a recent Zoom session. "It's like a slap on the wrist. No one cares. And that's the thing that does not sit right with me, is when will people care and realize this is a human right thing?"

On a grander scale, I would imagine many police officers across the nation are feeling as much betrayal from citizens, as Black people do in their everyday existence. After all, while there is certainly a systemic problem involving police brutality, officers and their backers continue to chant the "more good officers than bad" narrative.

I've been in Las Vegas a very long time. I've had my run-ins with Metro as a young teen-ager and into my 20s. Routine traffic stops have turned into detained incidents and resulted in absolutely nothing more than police bravado exercising authority. I'm sure they had a job to do and were doing due diligence. But I've never worried about making it home alive. I have, on the other hand, always answered every question with respect, kept my hands where they could be seen, and just did what I was told.

For the most part, I've had many more pleasant encounters with Metro officers. Family men, who dedicate their time to Little League or Pop Warner or have teatime with their daughters. Mothers who love doing their daughter's hair, and an hour later could be at a martial arts studio throwing vicious roundhouse kicks during personal training.

I don't know any "bad" police officers personally, but I assume there are many scattered across the country.

I do know dozens of good police officers in Clark County.

SNATCHING CORN ROWS

I reached out to two minority veterans from the force who agreed to speak on the condition of anonymity.

I wanted to hear their thought processes and what goes through their minds with everything that is going on in our society, knowing there is a great portion of our nation out there who loathes the law. People whom they've never even met but hate them on sight because of another officer's actions thousands of miles away.

Keeping their identities and genders protected, I've assigned them each numbers based on different times I met with them, so we'll call them Officers 125 and 530.

Officer 125 was in complete agreement with a statement issued by Steve Grammas, president of Metro's union, after the Golden Knights took their stand. Officer 125 was close with fellow-officer Shay Mikalonis, who was shot on June 1 during protests across the valley. Officer 125 acknowledged the fact there needs to be change in other departments. But the officer doesn't - as a protector of civilians - like that police officers have suddenly become society's public enemy No. 1.

"As far as the Golden Knights, I understand their support toward the movement of wanting change," Officer 125 said. "I believe there needs to be change, but I don't believe in the BLM movement. It's very one-sided and it's causing riots, looting and destruction. And it's even caused murders. I understand people want change, but change doesn't happen overnight. It never has and it never will. We want all this to stop and we do want to come together as one community. But that'll never happen if it's us vs. them. It takes both sides to work together."

As respected journalist Jemele Hill points out, though, the actual Black Lives Matter organization was never constructed under the guise of being a destructive force in society. The problem lies within the group's supporters, those who lash out during peaceful protests, scream "Black Lives Matter," and wreak havoc.

"The fact that we're now in present day, associating any manner of protests with incivilities, is just kind of patently false," Hill said. "I also think it's kind of a misconception about the difference between supporting the general concept of Black Lives Matter and being actually a part of the movement - those are two different things. If I say 'Black Lives Matter' I'm not necessarily a member of the organization, I just believe deeply in the principle. I don't know if people actually have the nuance to be able to separate what is the difference. They act like everybody who says 'Black Lives Matter' is part of the national office - that’s not true.

"They may just literally be saying that. It's become a catchall phrase to indicate that you support Black people and that you're against police brutality."

Just as both Officers 125 and 530 are - against police brutality - but also believe they serve under one of the nation's best law umbrellas.

"As for the (Jacob) Blake shooting, I don't believe with how they handled it," Officer 125 said. "I don't believe in their tactics. I think the way we would have handled it... we're trained better than any other department in the country. I understand people want answers, but that takes time. Allow the DOJ and the (Kenosha) department to do their job and to investigate before you point in one direction. The NHL, NFL, MLB - them supporting change is right - but just to support one side of it is unfair."

Officer 530 concurred about Metro's training, calling it top notch because Las Vegas attracts tourists from all over the world.

Officer 530 said though there might be older veterans on the force who are stuck in their ways, in terms of their thinking - not actions - it is also very rare, saying Metro is "top-five in the nation when it comes to our training."

Officer 530 also shared an isolated incident with a senior officer, who made comments about "snatching a Black male."

"I remember we were given an assignment to show a presence at a club on the Strip," Officer 530 said. "A fight had broken out, and I remember one of the things (the officer) had said was 'let's go snatch these BMs up by their corn rows.' (BMs), which is code for Black Males. (The officer) didn't say anything blatantly offensive to the public, but if the public would have known what (the officer) was talking about, they would have been like, 'Woah!' I was shocked. I told (the officer) that I disagreed with it. We had a talk and I felt like (the officer) felt my frustration. (The officer) took what I said and just took it as like a 'my bad' and we still continued to keep going. Thankfully, nothing happened that day."

Officer 530 hasn't come across anyone else as blatant since hearing that comment and doesn't believe in the slightest Metro has a systemic problem. The officer believes there are other officers who have shown certain habits and things would have gone differently "if the person was of a different color."

"But systemic racism, it's not as prevalent as it is in other jurisdictions in other states," Officer 530 said. "We really can't operate like that. Granted, you'll have officers that may come off as a jerk and verbally aggressive and borderline ready to hem you up, but I don't think that comes from racism. I just think that comes from dealing with so many different people and you never knowing what's going to happen with certain people. And I think that exposure ... helps us adjust to dealing with the different people all over the world."

Officer 530 said staying humble when seeing a ratio of roughly 9:1 when it comes to social media posts revealing an officer-involved shooting or excessive force vs. an officer doing a good deed has become a chore. But, the officer added, there are plenty of good deeds out there not being told.

Officer 530 understands frustrations are on high and doesn't blame people for their feelings when there is a percentage of officers nationwide executing their jobs in questionable manners, leaving the public with no other choice to feel a certain way.

But, Officer 125 adds: "I guarantee if the roles were reversed, they're going to call us and want immediate action to be taken. And we're not allowed to be unjust. We have to go out and do something for everyone. Are there isolated incidents of police brutality? Yes. There's definitely been times we've seen that. Unfortunately for an officer, you can't police the same way in every single state. You have to be prepared to acknowledge every person you confront could have a gun - and that confrontation doesn't have a color."

True, but it's also a mistake to say anyone who stands against police brutality also stands against law and order.

OUR UNITED STATES

Law enforcement is not intended to operate against the freedom of civilians and openly ignore the rights of every American on the whole.

I realize we're talking about men and women who chose to become a civil servant and put their lives on the line every day. But that also means we should recognize them as brave men and women who chose to protect and serve.

That said, the same way it is wrong to dismiss the fact there are more good law enforcement people than bad, it is also wrong to dismiss Black complaints of mistreatment by police as the incidents continue. By doing so, your mindset is blinded by a modern-day context that misses the point.

Why ignore incidents that blatantly disregard the liberties of Black men and women? By doing so, you oppress the issue, which in turn shuns the fact there is and has been a feeling of oppression.

Fact is, it is important to understand the Black Lives Matter movement and Law Enforcement by and large across the country. By dismissing the current state of either one just means you're not willing to have an informed discussion about the relationship between the two. This problem didn't appear out of nowhere. Now it just happens to be in your face, too, White America.

Welcome to our United States.