https://www.instagram.com/p/ByakEyXAFRa/
In a chilling video captured over the weekend that has since gone viral, a woman is heard pleading with police officers in Hawthorne, Calif. who have high-powered weapons drawn on a kneeling and unarmed Black man. Details are still developing, but reaction online to the video has triggered a renewed conservation of excessive police force against people of color.
Captured by an Instagram user only known at the moment as @BlueAsDaSky, the video shows a man only known by the name of William who, according to what was told to Sky, was being detained as a possible suspect in an armed robbery thus the show of force. William, who never appears to be aggressive as the officers have their weapons drawn and aimed at his back, tries to plead his case peacefully and appears fearful.
Sky is heard on the video crying and pleading with the officers to lower their weapons and remarks that she went through a similar incident with a boyfriend who was reportedly shot and killed by police officers in 2015, explaining this to an officer supervising the scene.
The emotional video has spread across social media channels and discussion around the video has been robust since it was published over the weekend. We’ve captured some of the reactions to the video from Twitter below.
https://www.instagram.com/p/ByakYzVAYqZ/
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Photo: Instagram
Woman Pleaded With Hawthorne Cops With Guns Drawn On Kneeling Unarmed Black Man [Video] was originally published on hiphopwired.com
1.
In Hawthorne, California police had guns drawn on an unarmed black man, William. The pain you hear in the woman's voice is chilling. I felt it through the screen. Heartbreaking.
— Kenidra4Humanity ~ KHHL ~ (@KenidraRWoods_) June 9, 2019
Here's the police department info:
12501 Hawthorne Blvd, Hawthorne, CA 90250
1 (310) 349-2700 pic.twitter.com/Ioz9zBOTp4
2.
Hawthorne police. Same police department that killed my dad. Some shit won’t change unless we start trippin on them instead of each other. https://t.co/CIpw9NJlDa
— FREE TU (@peee_5) June 9, 2019
3.
Police scandal in Hawthorne, an LA suburb — Unarmed man surrounded by cops who don’t move to arrest, but keep guns on him while 1 cop points her military weapon AT citizen capturing this on cell phone.
— David Cay Johnston (@DavidCayJ) June 10, 2019
The police chief & every cop on scene needs to be held accountable. https://t.co/jRDZxffs3e
4.
As an American citizen, I demand an explanation as to why @HawthornePD needed so many cops & guns for one unarmed black man. And why did your officer point her large gun at the woman exercising her rights as an American citizen to record police activity? #Hawthorne https://t.co/TyLBn6CBDE
— 🏳️🌈 ♀ BhánJawn - Yellow Cat 😼 Democrat🐝🌙 (@Its_Sargasm) June 9, 2019
5.
Grew up on this intersection fuck Hawthorne Police https://t.co/0WfUyXznaH
— Tha Dripsta 🐐 (@SeanEv1K4L) June 8, 2019
6.
This is fifteen minutes away from where I live. Hawthorne is largely brown and Black. People think California is so progressive, but police are terrorists everywhere.
— Ruby's Granddaughter (@lizzyemcee) June 9, 2019
7.
I know it is taboo to talk about cutting police budgets but if there are this many officers available to arrest an unarmed man who weighs maybe a buckthirty, it is time to look how we can be better spending our tax dollars.#Hawthorne https://t.co/b0eWM5wLHa
— Dawn Pelej (@FUNpocolypse) June 10, 2019
8.
Part 2 of the video involving the entire Hawthorne Police Department being needed to detain one black man
— Racist Of The Week (@RacistOTW) June 10, 2019
If if weren't for Sky Posey filming this entire incident, William probably would be a hashtag
This is WHY @Kaepernick7 kneeled...#ADoS
(Video credit: IG: blueasdasky) pic.twitter.com/RCQvcS5SYU
9.
“Hawthorne was once a "whites only" settlement, commonly called a sundown town. During the 1930s, signs warned African-Americans to be out of Hawthorne by sundown.” Did the police not get the memo its 2019. WTF!
— Henry Lucero (@HenryLucero) June 10, 2019
10.
The video of the #Hawthorne Cali police with their assault style rifles guns drawn on a kneeling black man and the #Columbus police officer slapping a civilian are the latest in a long line of reasons why many black ppl fear most cops. I’m at a loss for why this keeps happening.
— Jennifer R. Farmer (@PR_Whisperer) June 10, 2019