New York Times op-ed columnist and author Charles Blow took to Twitter yesterday to express his outrage at Yale police officers reportedly pulling a gun on his son, a student at the univesity, and questioning him Saturday night regarding a string of robberies in and around the campus:
So, my son, a 3rd year chem major at Yale was just accosted – at GUN POINT – by a Yale policeman bc he "fit the description" of a suspect…
— Charles M. Blow (@CharlesMBlow) January 25, 2015
He was let go when they realized he was a college student and not a criminal ( he was leaving the library!) He's shaken, but I'm fuming!
— Charles M. Blow (@CharlesMBlow) January 25, 2015
Yale police released this statement on the incident:
“Earlier this evening, Yale police responded to emergency calls from undergraduates in Trumbull College, one of twelve residential colleges on the Yale campus. Several students reported that an individual had just entered their rooms under false pretenses, pretending to be looking for someone. Students in Trumbull College have been the victims of burglary this week, and a person matching the physical description of the individual, as well as the story of ‘looking for someone’ has been seen several times in the college. (See this report from the Yale Daily News.)
“Tonight, when students spotted him, they called police and described him as a tall, African-American, college-aged student wearing a black jacket and a red and white hat. This was the description that Yale police used as they converged on Trumbull and attempted to track down the suspect. During the efforts to locate and detain the suspect, a Yale College student, who closely matched the description of the suspect, was briefly detained and released by Yale police. The suspect, who was seen fleeing Trumbull College, was arrested shortly thereafter in Berkeley College (a residential college adjacent to Trumbull College) and will be charged with felony burglaries.
“An internal review of the incident will be conducted by the YPD Chief’s office.”
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Based on what the Yale police department is saying, however, it’s hard to see what exactly the cops did wrong.
Blow went on to seemingly compare his son’s treatment to Eric Garner in New York City, using the hashtag #ICantBreathe:
#ICantBreathe #BlackLivesMatter
— Charles M. Blow (@CharlesMBlow) January 25, 2015
One thing that Blow is leaving out — and it’s not clear if many of his readers are aware of — is that crime at Yale University isn’t a shocker.
New Haven was named one of America’s “most dangerous” cities with a population under 200,000 in 2014 and Yale publishes a “Daily Crime Log” on its website.
Yale even has a special “FAQ” for parents who are worried about crime in the New Haven area.
We ask, honestly, what does Mr. Blow expect the Yale police to have done differently when responding to a report of this nature?
Blow continued:
This is exactly why I have NO PATIENCE for ppl trying to convince me that the fear these young blk men feel isn't real #RacialBattleFatigue
— Charles M. Blow (@CharlesMBlow) January 25, 2015
I'm still trying to calm myself down…
— Charles M. Blow (@CharlesMBlow) January 25, 2015
Recent events reinforce what many have been saying for years: have a convo w your children abt what to do when interacting with authorities.
— Charles M. Blow (@CharlesMBlow) January 25, 2015
And we agree with him. This is a conversation parents of any race should have with their kids.
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Related:
Twitchy coverage of Eric Garner
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