The frivolous charges against a Black man in Texas, who was arrested while walking home, have been dropped.
Last Tuesday, 18-year-old Rodney Reese was walking home from his job at Walmart and minding his Black-owned business when he was approached by Plano cops for walking in the middle of a snow-covered street.
Officers asked Reese, who was only wearing a t-shirt and jeans, if he needed a ride home.
He replied, “Nah, I’m straight.”
The officers wouldn’t leave well enough alone and continued to harass Rodney Reese saying, “Dude, stop, we’re trying to help you.”
Rodney continued to make his way home.
A female officer said, “Can you calm down? We just want to talk to you … You’re walking in the middle of the road.”
Rodney continued to walk and declined their assistance.
The officers continued to follow him and eventually placed him in handcuffs claiming they were responding to a report about Reese possibly being impaired or in the midst of a mental health crisis.
During his arrest Rodney Reese said, “Let me go, let me go! What the f**k is wrong with you?”
He was charged with a misdemeanor count of being a pedestrian in the roadway.
Chief Ed Drain told KDFW, the charges have been dropped and said, “They should’ve taken him home.”
Nah, they should have left him alone.
Drain also added that they will determine if an investigation is necessary in this case.
Rodney spent the night in jail before being released and he is convinced the only reason cops stopped him was because he is Black.
They just treated me like I was a criminal or something. Just a simple encounter. A simple encounter. That’s why I tried to dodge it, so I could make it home.
Just ‘cause I’m black, that’s it. It’s ‘cause I’m black, I fit a description.
It hurts, man.
Clearly, police haven’t learned anything from Elijah McClain?!?!
