Police

Jemel Roberson's Murder By Cops Is A Warning To Black People Who Try To Help

Trying to help while black can be a capital offense in America.

By  
on

When I was in middle school, I was at a white friend’s house in Roslyn, Long Island, playing baseball in his backyard with a number of other boys. One of us, not me, hit the ball over the fence, into the neighbor’s yard. The neighbor had a reputation for being kind of a dick, and he had a German Shepard. We drew sticks, I think — I remember the home run hitter being excluded from the draw — and I drew the short one. With some trepidation, I vaulted the fence, got the ball, was barked at by the dog, slightly ripped my shirt on the way back over, but otherwise got back safely. Our game continued without incident.

When my parents picked me up, I told them what happened. My mom gave a full on “Ohhhh LAWD!” My father stopped the car. I thought they were pissed about my shirt. No. My parents explained to me in no uncertain terms that I was NOT allowed to hop fences into random yards in Roslyn. I could not risk being shot as a “trespasser” by a strange white person.

“But that’s not fair to my friends, Dad.”
“YOUR FRIENDS ARE WHITE! IT’S NOT A RISK TO THEM.”
“Dogs don’t bite white people?”
“DOGS’ OWNERS DON’T SHOOT WHITE CHILDREN.”

My parents resolved to never send me to another white friend’s house without an extra ball.

It was the first, and most impactful, time I can remember learning that it was more dangerous for me to help then it was for white people. It was the first time that I considered that treating everybody “the same” was different than treating everybody “equally.” I could afford two balls. I couldn’t afford to act like every other kid.

I still think about that lesson. If a white person drops their phone or leaves their bag behind, I’ll call out to them. But I won’t touch their stuff. I don’t want to be accused of “stealing,” either by the person I’m trying to help or some 911-calling Becky. I’m reluctant to pay a price to white people for the crime of just trying to help.

Jemel Roberson paid the ultimate price for trying to help. He was gunned down, by the police, for trying to help the police catch a criminal.

Sponsored

Roberson was working security at Manny’s Blue Room, a club 20 miles south of Chicago. Apparently some drunken patrons were asked to leave. One of them returned with a weapon and opened fire.

Roberson, who was armed, helped subdue the threat, which was his job. The assailant attempt to run, but Roberson chased him down, caught him, put a knee in his back, and kept him there until the cops could arrive to arrest him.

When officers showed up on the scene, they shot Roberson immediately. Apparently, other patrons were screaming at the cops, telling them that Roberson was “security.” According to reports, “SECURITY” was emblazoned on Roberson’s T-shirt. It didn’t matter. Cops showed up, saw a black man with a gun, and shot him dead without a second thought.

Watch. They’ll probably charge the alleged shooter that Roberson subdued with felony murder, but let the murderous cop walk.

Roberson did nothing wrong. He acted bravely and went above and beyond the call of his job. His family reports that Roberson actually wanted to become a cop; he wanted to protect and serve his community.

Sponsored

Black people can be killed by all sorts of things, just like white people. But unlike white people, black people have a natural predator in this racist society, and that is the American cop. Doing anything that may attract the attention of these predators is dangerous for black people, even helping.

Leaving my office late one night this summer, I saw a pedestrian white woman get hit by a car. She was fine, but the driver was clearly in the wrong. She was legally in the crosswalk and the motorist was trying to make a right well after the light. I saw the whole thing and, from my vantage point, I surmised that I was probably the only person who saw the light clearly red before the motorist made his turn. I thought about sticking around, filing a police report, and trying to do what I could to get this dangerous motorist off the road.

Then I heard the police sirens. Then I heard my late father’s voice: “THEY DON’T SHOOT WHITE CHILDREN.”

I left the scene and continued my journey home, without incident.

Black security guard subdues gunman and gets killed by police arriving on the scene [The Grio]

Elie Mystal is the Executive Editor of Above the Law and the Legal Editor for More Perfect. He can be reached @ElieNYC on Twitter, or at elie@abovethelaw.com. He will resist.

Topics

, , ,