Michael Johnson

6189 Winter Garden Vineland Rd.

Windermere, FL 34786
123-456-7890
michael.johnson@gmail.com
October 24, 2018
Officer Donald Smith
1250 W South St.
Orlando, FL 32805

Dear Officer Smith,

On April 15, 2018, you changed my life. On that day, everything I thought I knew about the world
had vanished; all of my faith, hopes and dreams were shattered — by you. I laid on the cold and hard
cement, defenseless, feeling compressed and defeated — by you. I reluctantly turned my head to the
side as my mother watched me being tased — by you. I felt the cold rings grasp my wrists, just as a
snake encompasses its prey, when I was forcefully levitated off of the dirty ground and into a car —
by you. Sirens and flashing lights blocked my vision, as we began to embark on the journey that
ruined my life, and no one — not even you — told me why this was happening. On April 15, 2015,
you arrested me, and six months later I still don’t have an explanation as to why I was arrested.

Before April 15, I was living life as a normal teen in Florida with my parents, siblings and dog. I
went to a public high school just as most people my age do, and I was an average student; I tried not
to fail, and for the most part, it worked. I had never consumed alcohol, done drugs, been in a fight,
or anything that was worth getting me arrested. April 16 was my sister’s birthday, and my mother
and I decided to plan ahead and get things ready for a surprise party we were going to throw for
her. The day before her birthday, my mom and I went out to go get party supplies; as we’re on a
road not too far from our house, I hear sirens behind me. I pull over, ready to have my license and
registration taken out for you, but as I rolled down my window I hear, “Freeze! Step out of the car
or I can and will shoot you!” I was terrified for my life, and I obeyed, but this didn’t give you enough
satisfaction. You ran towards me, tackled me to the ground, and dislocated my shoulder to render
me defenseless; I turned my head and saw my mother screaming in agony as she saw her son in
pinned to the ground screaming in pain, and that was the last I saw of her until you shoved me into
your car and drove me to the police department.
Why did I describe to you the most horrific moment of my life? Well, Officer, it’s because I fear that
you’ve done this to hundreds of other African American teenagers like me. As I sit here in my
prison cell for the next 10 years, I wanted to take some time to express my emotions towards what
happened to me, as well as educate you on what us victims go through.

Police officers alone killed 825 people in 2018, and there were only 14 days last year when someone
was not killed due to police violence. So, who were the targets of police killings? To answer your
question, it’s people of color, specifically, black people. We are three times more likely to be killed
by police than a white person. In fact, 7.2 million African Americans died at the hands of police
while whites are killed at a rate of 2.9 per million. Fewer than 1 of 3 black people that are killed by
police in America in 2014 were suspected of a crime and were allegedly armed. I bet you thought I
was one of those people, but guess what… I wasn’t, and based on this I presume that you are part of
the 15% of officers who use this situation as an opportunity to abuse your authority.

Even though 15% of police officers have the mentality to abuse their authority, others argue that it
may not be entirely negative. Donald Trump addressed a large crowd of law enforcement officers
last year, where he expressed his approval of police officers injuring suspects during an arrest. To
what extent will we tolerate this kind of behavior in America? More important, why are we
condoning this behavior from the President in the first place? Officer, if you have any sense of
empathy you would know that this behavior should not be allowed in the police force, much less
from our own government.

As a minority adolescent in the United States of America who has been a victim of police violence, I
speak out on behalf of those who couldn’t; for those who weren’t alive to make it to the jail cell, for
those who were shot in the back as they walked down the street, for those who were beaten to
death because they allegedly had a weapon. I am the voice for millions, and on behalf of all of us, we
will not tolerate this behavior in our justice system. The Founding Fathers of this nation entitled
each American to unalienable rights, rights that you violated on April 15. All I ask of you, Officer
Smith, is to reconsider your past actions towards African Americans around Florida and make
amends to those you have wronged.
We are in the United States of America; we stand united against those who pose a threat to peace.
Unless with a reason, it’s treasonous to turn on those around you. Think about where you work
before you act. What if it were your child who was being handcuffed on the cement?

Sincerely,

Michael Johnson