“Smile You’re on Candid Camera: What Happens when the Race Cards Meet the Body Camera”

Liar, Liar, pants on fire.  If you are going to make allegations of racism, make sure that there are no cameras or cell phone videos around.  Cameras and videos can make the difference between a fat racial discrimination settlement and the humiliation and shame that comes from being exposed as a liar.  Let’s take two recent cases where the race card failed.

Case number 1, involved Oakland firefighter, Keith Jones, who went on local television during the ruckus in Ferguson, MO and told a heart wrenching tale of being abused by a police officer who held him and his two sons at gun point just because they were black males in the vicinity where a burglary had been reported.  Jones described the incident for the media.  The policemen he said, yelled:

“Don’t move, put your hands up.”

“And his hand is on his gun. He was crouched, he was low, and he was basically in a shooting stance. “I’m pretty much thinking he’s going to pretty much shoot me,” Jones said. Later adding in the interview that “I think they, meaning white folks,  view black males as a threat.

Unbeknownst to Jones, the officer was wearing a body camera that recorded the whole incident, showing the officer clearly following protocol and even apologizing.  Oopsie.

Case 2, involves Daniele Watts, and aspiring movie actress who accused a police officer of racism for accusing her of prostitution because of a complaint from a bystander.  According to Watts, she was merely kissing her white boyfriend much in the same manner she kisses her father.  Unfortunately, for Danielle, someone captured her on camera engaging in sex on a busy street with the car door open.  A prostitute would have shown more discretion. The recordings show the police officer doing his job and Danielle and her boyfriend making a scene about racial victimization.  Double oopsie.

The moral of the tale, no pun intended,  is be careful when and how you play the race card. You never know when when someone’s going to be holding a better hand and on camera no less.