A white woman called the cops on a black real estate investor. Police defended him.

[applegrove]

By P.R. Lockhart at Vox

https://www.vox.com/identities/2018/5/15/17358360/white-woman-police-black-real-estate-investor-racial-profiling-memphis-michael-hayes

"SNIP........


Michael Hayes, a black real estate investor in Memphis, Tennessee, was inspecting a house in need of repairs on May 5. A white woman who lived in the neighborhood demanded to know why he was outside.

In a video posted to YouTube, Hayes explained that he was an investor looking at the property and that the person who owned the home knew he would be there. He also showed the woman an investment contract signed by the owner, as well as a letter showing that he had written permission to enter the house.

The woman, still suspicious of Hayes, called the police.

When they arrived, Hayes began recording his interaction with the officers, explaining that he had permission to be in the home. In a refreshing twist, the officers listened to Hayes and told the woman that if she interfered with his work, she would be arrested.

........SNIP"

[TexasProgresive]

1. That is refreshing! n/t

[Aristus]

2. About damned time. In Tennessee, no less.

I hope some people are learning...

[SCVDem]

20. Wow! Can't even go to work.

May I assume even the police were (ahem), other than white?

I like happy endings!

[mythology]

25. First officer on the scene was a middle aged white guy

The second officer on the scene was a younger black woman.

[SCVDem]

29. Thank you.

Memories of Overton Square, 1973 - 1974.

Hot Air Balloon, TGI Fridays featuring some guy named Billy Joel, and Berkles Bakery.

Again, Happy Endings are hopeful.

Smile Colin, baby steps!

[LisaM]

3. It's not just refreshing, it should be department policy.

About damned time!

[Blue_true]

4. The police did their jobs right.

Mr. Hayes came with documents that he showed the woman. That should have been the end of it. The police made sure that it was.

[MustLoveBeagles]

5. Good

He did nothing wrong. This should be the norm.

[LisaM]

6. But who'd want to move in next to HER?

LOL, I just watched the footage. No wonder nobody was living in the house!

[lame54]

16. The homeowner should be pissed...

May have lower the price thanks to her

[OnlinePoker]

34. Looks like she also had issues with the other neighbor who showed up

I'm sure she didn't call the cops on him, though. I wonder why???

[get the red out]

54. Experienced that

We used to own a townhouse in a complex where one guy took it upon himself to "police" everyone for perceived HOA violations. He was also horrifically racist as well. His next door neighbor was an AA lady, and he would scream racist viciousness through their mutual wall until she and her SO couldn't take it anymore and would confront him, then he would call the police and tell them they were threatening him. The police came close to arresting the woman's boyfriend once because he really did confront the demon in no uncertain terms. They were not physically safe living next door to that man, especially the lady when her BF was out of town for work. And until he moved, no one who put their townhouse up for sale could sell it (the neighborhood is considered a very desirable one in town, good schools etc....) We put ours up for sale after he moved, and our realtor confirmed that most realtors in town knew about that guy, and that nothing was going to sell in the complex until he was gone. They did start selling again once he left and we were finally able to escape HOA hell. We live in a very racially diverse neighborhood now and it is much less stressful.

[mcar]

7. Maybe they are getting the message

But the woman should have been cited for a ridiculous call.

[dalton99a]

62. +1

[IronLionZion]

8. She probably brings down the property value in that neigborhood

There are many racists who do not want POC buying real estate or investing in anything.

Racists often believe:
Black people are poor and need to stay poor.
Black people live in black neighborhoods and need to stay in black neighborhoods.
Black people work in black jobs (???) and need to stop applying for white jobs

and so many other ways to say stop being so uppity and learn your place.

[SCVDem]

35. I was raised to be a racist

on the south side of Milwaukee. I know exactly what you are saying. Mind your self or we will sell our house to Ni(you know).

I joined the Marines and left. In So. Cal., MCAS El Toro, I was assigned a room, 4 bunks, me and three black guys. It was only a month, but,

I am so blessed! They understood how I was raised and took me in. They introduced me to real dancing, AWB and Brother Richard along with Don Cornelius and Sooollll Train.

Now I'm 63 and my friends are Latino. Most every white person I know is a person of XXXXXX a bigot! Even my acupuncturist from Taiwan shared how illegal immigrants are scum.

I believe tRump is to blame for the acceptance of hate.

Rant off. Sorry. I needed to get this off my chest.

[lunasun]

43. Good on you for resisting the hate they wanted you to follow

[roscoeroscoe]

45. Right on brother

Way to boogie

[byronius]

9. Smart, calm, honorable man and a couple of good cops.

[BigmanPigman]

10. I wonder what the percentage is

of calls to the police made by black people about suspicious white people? I'd like to see the statistics.

[Ferrets are Cool]

11. Wow, finally a "feel good" story involving police and POC. nt

[DRoseDARs]

12. He needs to stay far away from that property now. She will seek retribution. nt

[gollygee]

14. Then she wins. nt

[DRoseDARs]

17. Tennessee. I'm sure she knows or knows someone who knows someone who dons a white hood...

I'm less worried about the principle of the thing and more worried about his safety or the safety of his investment. After being presented with all legitimacy, bitch still called the cops on him. That they backed him in this is good, but her seething racism won't let her forget this.

[7962]

18. Luckily since he's an investor, he's likely not going to live there.

Probably rehab & resell

[BobTheSubgenius]

13. I have to admit it.

I was partially ready for a "...and no one lived happily ever after." ending.

[rickford66]

15. Isn't it a shame that when nothing happens, it's a story ?

[EffieBlack]

19. THIS is what the Starbucks cops should have done

This also illustrates something I wrote in another thread - that police don’t have to just take the word of the caller. Check it out and put the burden on the person making the accusation to explain why the person is suspicious, not make the accused person prove that they aren’t.

[Honeycombe8]

24. Totally different situation. If the owner of the property had been at this house....

and there was no business contract...the cops would have arrested this man, if he refused to leave at the owner's request. That's their job. Or try to convince him to leave. But the man can't stay, if the owner (or owner's agent) tells him he's loitering on private property.

[EffieBlack]

27. Why am I not surprised that you popped in to try, once again, to defend that illegal arrest?

Your plethora of "ifs"- most of which didn't apply in the Starbucks case - show that you still don't get it. For example, among other things, you still seem to have difficulty comprehending the difference between private property and a business open to the public. In the latter case, the police don't have to just do what the owner says, it's not "their job" to remove or arrest anyone just because the owner says so. They are legally required to independently confirm that there is probable cause to believe that a law had been broken and not just rely on the owner's claim.

Maybe you missed the threads in which I explained in great detail why the cops had absolutely no legal right to arrest the men in Starbucks.

But it really doesn't matter what you think. The law is the law, whether or not you like or agree with it - or even know or understand it - and, regardless how many times you insist otherwise, the arrest was illegal and the Philadelphia Police Department know the arrest was illegal, which is really what matters.

[Honeycombe8]

31. Why am I not surprised that you popped into an unrelated thread,

continuing to try to tie it to an unrelated incident that is nothing like it. With a bunch of "it's just like it!" "If only the Starbucks cops!" Give me a break. The two incidents were totally different. And you know it.

[EffieBlack]

36. The only relevant difference is that, in this instance, the cops did their jobs correctly

[Honeycombe8]

60. The two situations are different, period.

No need for you to intervene and try to hijack the thread to make it about the other thread.

[EffieBlack]

71. Saying something you don't like is not "hijacking"

And, while I’m sure the OP appreciates your concern about what is relevant to their topic and I certainly am amused by the rather odd spectacle of you leaping in to attack my comment and then whining that *I* “intervened” in the thread, your continuing efforts to police other people’s comments because you can’t handle having your views challenged, along with how easily you are triggered to explain away racist behavior, are, once again, duly noted.

[Honeycombe8]

72. It's hijacking. It's not the subject of the thread, or even same situation. nt

[EffieBlack]

73. Do you go around jumping in to police the responses to EVERYONE's OPs or just the ones that

trigger your apparently uncontrollable impulse to defend certain behaviors?

It is kind of amusing and instructive to watch someone so easily triggered and, at the same time, so defiantly un-self-aware that they are the very illustration of exactly the topic being discussed.

Keep talking. It’s fascinating.

[heaven05]

84. racism, starbuck and here

is the subject of the thread. It's NOT your thread nor subject which is 'splaining away racism101.

[heaven05]

49. really

one fact about both incidents at Starbucks and this one is the same, can you guess what it is?

[brush]

42. What does what you wrote have to do with anything?

The investor had every right to be there and the papers to prove it.

No imaginary scenarios needed from you to justify the racist caller's actions.

[roscoeroscoe]

46. Maybe your if is showing

If if if

[Honeycombe8]

61. Yur if is showing.

If if if. If only....

[heaven05]

48. what are you saying?

trying to explain to excuse the action of the woman who called the police? ENOUGH!!! 'splainin......

[Honeycombe8]

64. You got some 'splainin to do.

'Splain yourself. Enough! Facts are facts! Enough with the "I don't accept anything other than 100% agreement with ME!" Its ME, ME, ME! It's what I think that counts! ME! There is no other point of view! You must repeat what I say verbatim! It's ME and my words only that count! ME!

[heaven05]

75. no, it's you, you, you

and you excusing and 'splaining'. I can be wrong and have admitted such. Never with your 'splainin' and excusing. That's all you get from me. have a good one.

[brer cat]

83. It looks like you were holding up a mirror when you made that post.

You have made yourself the sole authority and twist yourself into pretzels with your endless "ifs" to force the situation into one that you think supports your view. That you can't express your opinion and move on but insist on being argumentative and rude to people of color does sound a lot like white fragility. And in case you haven't noticed, you are sitting all alone out on that limb.

[Iggo]

66. You're describing a third situation that never happened.

What the fuck.

[pecosbob]

21. Even after being told she was in the wrong

she persisted...telling him “Hurry up, do it and get out!” This a good illustration of why no one can make any ground reaching our deplorables. They don't want to be civil.

[mythology]

28. By that logic, does every liberal male beat women like Eric Schneiderman?

Taking an example doesn't extrapolate to the whole.

[treestar]

58. Like every cop is always on the racists' side

As this example shows not to be quite the case.

[RockRaven]

22. This isn't a scared, pearl-clutching white lady

it is a dyed-in-the-wool bigot. She was shown a letter from the owner and the signed contract but she could not recognize that her belief that the black man was up to no good was in error.

People like this -- who won't accept that their idea, impression, instinct, or opinion are in error when confronted with evidence to the contrary -- are a blight on society. They are the bane of progress. They are a hazard to human flourishing.

[Honeycombe8]

23. I can't believe she called the cops after she saw the contract.

I'm not surprised the police told her to move on, none of her business. They saw the contract, that he had a right to be there. And they stayed to make sure the situation didn't escalate because the woman was so hostile.

I don't fault her for asking in the first place. Or calling the police, instead of asking him. It's prudent to do that, when you see a stranger walking around your neighbor's vacant house. But when she saw the contract, that should have been the end of it. Not too many burglars come prepared with a contract. But then to tell him to hurry up and get out of the neighborhood...who does she think she is?

That poor man...that woman ruined a perfectly good day for him, made him feel like he didn't belong. I hope he ends up buying that house as an investment. That'll really get to her.

[applegrove]

26. Forget it. He told her what he was doing. She should have believed him.

It is not even logical. Who would break into a condemned house?

[Honeycombe8]

30. Oh, yeah, that happens.

I saw vacant houses when house hunting that had been vandalized and partied in, the fixtures stolen, and such. The homeless seek them out, too.

There's also a trend these days, where people find a vacant house, move in, and stay (squatting). https://www.indystar.com/story/news/crime/2017/06/08/how-squatters-move-into-vacant-homes-and-scam-renters/357994001/

But of course, that man doesn't look like a criminal or partying teen or homeless.

[applegrove]

38. Well she asked. He gave her a good answer. Why did she call the police.

Last edited Tue May 15, 2018, 11:39 PM - Edit history (1)

And did he have a car? Some people are just as thick as bricks.

[Honeycombe8]

39. Oh, I agree. Asking initially might be okay. It's after that that got weird. nt

[heaven05]

51. 'splainin, 'splainin

Last edited Wed May 16, 2018, 09:18 AM - Edit history (1)

and nothing is more clear, TO ME, as to motive in that 'splainin....

[Honeycombe8]

59. 'Splain yourself, please. nt

[Iggo]

69. lol

[gollygee]

52. He put a sign out in front so people would know why he was there

and why would someone assume someone who put a sign for a real estate investor out in front and drove a nice vehicle there was homeless or whatever? No one would think that. And "you don't belong in our neighborhood" specifically means "black people don't belong in our neighborhood."

[JustAnotherGen]

87. oh my god

[heaven05]

50. I don't believe

you care one iota about "that poor man". I just don't believe it.

[Honeycombe8]

67. I live in a neighborhood with blacks. Are you calling me a racist?

That what you're saying, w/o using the word.

Explain yourself, please. And BTW...how old ARE you, not to be exposed to people who are truly unbiased to any race?

You have a problem with a post that condemns the woman's actions, but does say that the initial call or questioning of the man might have been okay, given that the house was vacant? (and given that vacant houses are particularly a draw for vandals, partiers, thiefs, and squatters). But that I might not have called, based on his appearance.

You have a problem with THAT? Do you live in a neighborhood with crime? I did. We had a neighborhood watch. We would question anyone walking around or into a vacant house that we didn't know, regardless of age or race or ethnicity or car. That's what neighborhood watch groups do, and what makes them effective. Once a question is answered, then that's it. That's how you fight crime. Groups of teens walking around on a school day when they should be in school...some neighbors would call the neighborhood cop to question them (yes, they were truants...and no doubt the ones responsible for the recent vandalism). That's what neighborhood watch groups do.

If I had been peering through windows of a vacant house in my neighborhood, I would have expected to be asked who I was, if the neighbors didn't recognize me. And I would have gladly answered, rather than be offended by being asked.

You need to get a clue about neighborhood crime and what is reasonable. As I said, I'm not sure I would have asked him, because he seemed to be a business guy. But I allow someone the ability to at least ask, to make sure. There is nothing wrong with that.

[EffieBlack]

74. Do keep talking

Please.

[heaven05]

77. ++

I wish we had a digging smilie, cause that's all there is here. Digging deeper and deeper

[EffieBlack]

78. Lol! Indeed

How about this?

[heaven05]

79. totally

[heaven05]

76. oooohhh, with black people really??

I never said this racist's action was any type of correct.

[LiberalFighter]

32. More police need to respond this way.

[mountain grammy]

33. So the real story is

That this made the news.. common sense makes news.

[zipplewrath]

63. Unfortunately

Common sense isn't all that... common.

[mountain grammy]

65. True that..

[IluvPitties]

37. Michael, don't go back.

I don't trust her or her acquaintances.

[GulfCoast66]

40. The takeaway to me was the second officer to show up..

An African American female.

The best way to overcome bigotry is to make bigots or potential bigots get to know the victims of their bigotry. Not always, but often it brings a change.

[Luciferous]

41. 70% of Memphis is black. This woman is just ignorant, but it happens all the time here.

When we moved in to our neighborhood we were told "the blacks here don't really participate." Well gee I wonder why?!

[EffieBlack]

80. It will take more than that

Bigots aren’t bigots because they’re not around enough black people. And blacks and other minorities have done more than enough “let me help you get to know me so you’ll see that I’m human” encounter sessions.

It’s important to start making these people suffer actual consequences - beyond just trying to appeal to their conscience - just like this cop did when he told her “I don’t care if you know the president. If you interfere with this man, I’m going to take you to jail.”

[EffieBlack]

86. You're right

It takes a multi-front effort.

I’m just tired of having to always do the reaching out to help people understand what they should already know - and having to do it ways and language not likely to offend them. I’m sure to get it ...

[C Moon]

44. Frigging awesome insight in this video!

[heaven05]

47. what the hell?

this racist bullshit is getting extremely unsettling and provocative. And extreme provocation can cause extreme reaction(s).

[get the red out]

53. Excellent!

Stupid woman, wasting police time for her racism, not only evil but takes cops away from actual police work.

[Uncle Joe]

55. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread applegrove

[Scalded Nun]

56. They should have cited her for nuisance calls to the police

[Gothmog]

57. Great Article

[world wide wally]

68. See how easy that is?

[PatSeg]

81. He did an excellent job documenting that

Very impressive guy.

[xxqqqzme]

82. I read stories like this

holding my breath.