When you're walking on the roadway, you got to walk on this side. So, when you were over here crossing, do me a favor. Put your hands on there. Try not to burn yourself. Spread your feet. Step back to me, please. All right. The encounter begins with a young black man being stopped by police for simply walking on the wrong side of the road. A vague and questionable justification that reeks of racial profiling. According to the fourth amendment, the right of the people to be as secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures shall not be violated. This stop, lacking clear evidence of criminal activity, appears to violate that constitutional protection. The officer's tone and immediate escalation, demanding ID, asking about weapons, and probing for drugs suggest a predetermined suspicion rooted in the man's race rather than any observable wrongdoing. This is not law enforcement. It's a power trip cloaked in a badge. How are you, man? Hey, so the reason I want to talk to you, bro, when you're walking on the roadway, you got to walk on this side. So when you were over here crossing, where you heading to, man? Okay. No, it's okay, man. Is that where you work? It's already all done. You done at 12 or what time is it? Good. I know. I hear you want to stand in the safe man. Hey, listen. Weapons at all. Hang on a second. I'll get you out of here. Okay. Something about me. Okay. All right. All right. I'm going to give you a verbal warning for the pedestrian pedestrian. No weapons at all. No, sir. And where's home for you? Okay. Hey, listen. You have some weed on you. As long as it's not huge. It's not a huge amount. Okay. Listen, I'm I'm a man on my word, dude. I'm not heing up for you. I promise. You got no pill, no powder, nothing like that. Mom that you were stopped for a pedestrian. I know it was an accident. It's what it is. And you were being let go as an accident. Yes, sir. It's all right, man. You wouldn't happen to have your ID or your This isn't your name, is it? No, sir. This a bad guy. Do you happen to have a uh medical marijuana card at all? Okay, listen. You're out of here, dude. You're gone in 5 minutes. Give me a minute. Throw this in the bag. Make sure you got1 and you are on your way. You're going home. Look at me. Look at me. You're going home. All right. Just relax for a second. Yeah. 31. Ma'am, I want you to ma'am. Give me a beer. Please go across the street right here. Go ahead. Go ahead. You just don't have to yell. You just don't have to yell. We're all talking like normal people. What? We're all talking like normal people. Don't give him the permission. He didn't give us any permission. Yeah. Okay. Then you can't Okay, respectfully, I disagree. Just do me a favor. Step over here for me just for a thing for us, man. She seems a favor. Just put that on there for me. You're not right. It's just a weave. All right, then. Put the thing right there so we can finish. Keep your phone on. Just do me a favor. Put your hands on there. Try not to burn yourself. Spread your feet. All right. Just relax your hands. Okay. Listen. If we're going to be cool, we're cool. Are we cool? I agree. I agree. You heard me. Just put your hand over there for me. Okay. I don't want to have listening. I don't know what you just said. It's not a big deal, man. It's just for your safety. anything. Do me a favor, please. Strip the shoe off real quick. One foot at a time for me, please. Just one foot back to me. Can you lift it up to me? No, no, no, no. Shoot. I need your foot. I need your foot. Yeah, I got you. All right. This Back in All right. Heat. Heat. Come on. What did I ask you? Did I ask you that? What's the problem, ma'am? You need to stop right there. Side of the road. I'm going to give you one more lawful command to stop right side of the road. Really? Don't yell at me. No, I'm not stepping back. I'm 25 ft from my house. Yes. The [ __ ] I am. He step back. I'm telling you what the [ __ ] it is. You need to focus on you. You can go with my car. How about that? You want to do it that way? Or you can relax and step back. Okay. career. Thank you. I know I got you. Yeah, 100%. 100% you will let you, man. We got to deal with your mom now. Relax. Relax. Come on. Relax. All right. Just sit down for me. Let me deal with your mom and then we'll get deal with you. Watch as much as much weight off it as you can. Okay. And I'll get out a second. As the situation unfolds, the officer's interaction with the man's mother highlights the aggressive tactics used to silence and intimidate. The mother, understandably upset, is met with commands to step back and accusations of being on the wrong side of the road, escalating a non-issue into a confrontation. The 14th Amendment guarantees equal protection under the law, stating, "No state shall deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." Yet, the officer's dismissive and confrontational approach, telling her to Google it when she questions the stop, shows a blatant disregard for fairness, particularly when dealing with black families. The mother's frustration is not just about her son's detention, but about the systemic reality of being targeted for existing in public spaces. Ma'am, respectfully, I understand it's your child. I'm going to ask you to please step off the side of the road. Since we need to focus on you, we're not going to focus on him. So, what can I do for you? I want to know why he's in the truck and why he's in trouble. First of all, what's the wrong side of the road? Okay. Which one would you like to address first? I want to know what's the wrong side of the road. When you walking, he got dropped off. He walked this road to talk. Would you like me to talk? If you're asking a question, I'm here to talk. You know what? Go ahead and say what the [ __ ] you got to say. I want to know what the wrong side of the road is. Okay, it's a You can just Google it if you like. You want to yell at me, man? I don't got time for this. What's the wrong side of the road? You're free to go. You don't have to stay here. It's my turn. better. How many more you got? I have one more coming there. Never mind. Yeah. Okay. Zero, please. This should be on the back. You're going to have to real job. If you stand in the shade, it'll keep you locked. I don't need to stand. You don't have to. I'm back. Your ass sh Now now that mom's gone. Now that mom's gone. That's okay. Her number, please. I'm about to crack. I don't have nobody number. I haven't even decided you're going to jail as of right now. Well, you guys explain, bro. Yeah, you can explain that. I'm from Chicago, bro. You know, Kima and all them, them boys, they don't like me. So, I stay in the house, I work, I go home. I have to turn 21. So, I going to get rid of that. I was going to give me a gun to register, bro. And my name, bro, cuz I ain't never been arrested. But now I'm getting arrested. Okay. You have I told you you're going to arrest the case. It's just I'm stupid, but I know better than that, bro. It's just I'm scared, but I don't like being out here. That's not the reason. It's just I don't feel good. You seem like you're a legit guy just going back and forth to work. I see one in the house. Okay. [ __ ] up, man. Okay. All right. You getting a little bit air conditioned back here or what? All right. All right. Give me a minute. We're going to do everything I can to get you out of here. Okay. Listen, this could have gone really, really bad. And it went it went as far as I'm concerned so far. It's going good with you except your mom being a little angry at me. But I understand it's for baby, right? You know, I do. If I had my step, don't be disappointed, man. Give her some Give us some time. Trying to make sure cuz that just make sure that that those handcuffs. You know what? Let's just fix those right now. Okay. Can you do me a favor? Step out. All right. Let me look at these things. Okay. Just relax your hands. I'm going to rotate your wrist. Okay. See how you can move it that much? That means that the pressure is not on it. But if you sit back and you put your body on the cuffs, I'm pull this up for you. Okay. It's It's going to hurt. Okay. You got okay wrist. See the wrist movement here? All right. I'm trying to keep it like that. After the arrest, he was charged with possession of marijuana and concealing a firearm. He was subsequently booked into the Flaggler County Jail. On September 23rd, 2024, he pleaded no contest to the charges and was sentenced to 24 months probation and issued a $768 fine by Judge Terren Perkins. The officer's insistence on compliance, even as he acknowledges the minor nature of the alleged violation, underscores a broader pattern of control rather than justice. The officer's repeated assurances, "You're going home," ring hollow as he continues to detain the young man, searching his shoes and belongings for no clear reason. The Fourth Amendment also requires that searches be based on probable cause. Yet, this encounter hinges on flimsy pretexts that crumble under scrutiny. The man's fear, rooted in his awareness of how these interactions can spiral, reflects a broader truth. Black individuals face a justice system that often assumes guilt before innocence. His mention of avoiding trouble and staying home to steer clear of police harassment paints a grim picture of a community forced to live under constant surveillance. The officer's claim that this could have gone really bad is a veiled threat, implying that compliance is the only way to avoid escalation, an all too common reality for black people. navigating a system stacked against them. This encounter isn't an isolated incident. It's a snapshot of systemic injustice where walking while black becomes a crime.