17 Sep, 2015 14:32

5 (mis)steps to be easily mistreated by US cops

From being innovative to having a disability, many in the US have been treated like criminals without actually committing a crime at all. Others have been brutalized for the most minor of infractions, such as crossing the street in the wrong place.

1. Jaywalk

Crossing the street in an area that isn't an official crosswalk can apparently lead to a beating with a baton. That's exactly what happened to a boy in Stockton, California, who was only trying to walk to his bus.

2. Make a clock and bring it to school

Educators are trained to encourage the intellect and motivation of their students, but perhaps teachers in Irving, Texas, missed that memo. Ahmed Mohamed was seeking to impress his instructors when he brought a homemade clock to school – but he landed in juvenile detention instead, because the invention “looked like a bomb.” The move sparked accusations of Islamophobia, as the boy is Muslim.

I expect they will have more to say tomorrow, but Ahmed's sister asked me to share this photo. A NASA shirt! pic.twitter.com/nR4gt992gB
— Anil Dash (@anildash) September 16, 2015

3. Be homeless with crutches

Apparently crutches are considered “suspicious" by US cops, even if you only have one leg and need them to get around. Officers in San Francisco assaulted a homeless amputee after he reportedly waved his “sticks” around.

4. Sing in the street

It may not have been the best singing voice to ever grace Allentown, Pennsylvania, but the source of the melody had no idea his performance would end with police assaulting and arresting him.

5. Be autistic

It's not officially a crime to have autism in America, but that didn't stop New York City police officers from punching a 17-year-old boy in the face before arresting him – all because he was standing in front of his own home and had a hard time making eye contact, which made one of the officers “fear for his life.”