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Trenton Killion

January 23, 2015


English 2010

Flash Memoir: Police Brutality


As I rode co-pilot with my father down State Street in Salt Lake
City, I remember being blinded by bright, stuttering red and blue lights.
Much like every youth, I was in ahhh by the sight of the police
officers in action. We waited for the go-ahead to continue down the
street as we rested at the stoplight. I watched how the officer handled
his perpetrator, whom sat still in his wheel chair on the sidewalk. My
father was narrating to me that the man that was stopped by the
officer was an ill-fated homeless man. We sat at the stoplight for what
seemed like a lifetime for my young mind. I continued to stare in
amazement at the situation on the sidewalk. I could tell that the officer
was beginning to get impatient with the man. The man continued to
say calm with the authority until, the officer struck him across the
back. Still the man sat aimlessly avoiding escalating the anger that the
officer had towards him. My father began to get uncomfortable with me
witnessing the event that was taking place. Things began to get out of
hand, the officer ripped the helpless man from his wheelchair onto the
hard concrete surface beneath them. The lead officer, along with his

partner, then jumped on top of the man and drove his skull
unforgivingly against the ground. Another police cruiser flew to the
scene. The newly arrived officer jumped from his vehicle and directed
the bystanders away from the dramatically escalating incident. The
traffic began to flow once again and we continued down the street. I
recall my father cursing in rage at what we all had just witnessed on
that warm summer day. I sat beside him quietly, full of so many
questions yet could not find in within myself to unleash the millions of
thoughts that were running through my mind. The feelings that I had
while I was settled in the passenger seat of his brand new Pontiac were
overwhelming.
Police brutality is an epidemic that has gone on entirely too long.
This social justice issue has become just that, a major issue. In fact,
nearly two times a week in the United States, a white police officer
killed a black person during a seven-year period ending in 2012. The
mistreatment by police officers in this country has become so common
and widespread. The second time that I ever heard about officers being
brutes towards citizens was when I sat in my history class in middle
school. We discussed issues similar to this and the name Rodney King
was brought to our attention. We watched clips of the video that
brought police brutality to everybodys attention. The men that wear
that gold badge are supposed to serve and protect us, not abuse their
authority.

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