I’ve been in nearly the exactly situation Rayshard was in. I got too drunk at a fancy pants charity party at a resort in Scottsdale Az when I was 19. Luckily I wasn’t driving.
It was my first time with bottle service, don’t judge me.
My friend took my drunk self out of the party and put me in his bmw. I passed out. I puked, kinda in the car, kinda out. I moved to the driver side, cracked the door incase of more puke.
I wake up to berries and cherries and 2 good ol’ boys poking the hell out of me asking me where the heroin was. Heroin? I told them I don’t do heroin but I could find some good pot. Now they think I broke into this car…
I was confused. I messed up, I got too drunk at a party, there were o’dourves! I couldn’t even spell o’dourves at the time.
Now they’ve got me on the hood telling me not to put my hands in my pockets but I’m cold and drunk and sick and wet I put my hand in my pockets again and again. They’re seeing me shiver and I’m starting to think they’re playing with me and so I started to walk away thinking that would get me out of it.
They kept circling and circling and before I know it I’m getting hit by the world and tasting the parking lot.
My fancy pants friend then comes out and saves my dumb ass. “My car” “I put him there” “sorry”.
and then, they let me go.
The thing is, at no point when I watch this video of Rayshard, do I ever think, that could have been me. I really think if that was my gorgeous face sitting in the drivers seat, things would go different. Because they really did for me.
So I read and understand you guys saying this isn’t caused by racism, and I have nothing to argue that in this specific incident you’re wrong… But I still don’t think this is how the situation would have ended up if that were me.
…and then, even still, if racism had nothing to do with this at alll, the cops messed this situation up badly.