> but it was an extreme abuse of power by a cop exerting his authority over what was genuinely a punk-kid; and I just wasn't in a position to do anything about it
This brought up a big one for me. When I was 13 I snuck out of my house one night with some friends. We ran all over the neighborhood and eventually ended up in the empty parking lot of a grocery store. There were four of us, all walking together side by side. I was the youngest.
One of my friends turns around to look behind us and yells out "RUN!" The rest of us turn around to see bright headlights pointed at us. We're not in the nicest of neighborhoods and for all we know, it could be anybody looking to mess with some kids. We panic-scatter and start sprinting in every direction.
Two seconds later, a police car pulls around in front me. I'm completely out of breath, scared out of my mind, and now I know I'm going to be in trouble with my parents because this particular town has a curfew for kids under 18. Two cops get out quickly and approach.
"Why were you running?" yells the big one. This is my first non-friendly interaction with a cop. I'm still out of breath, and paralyzed with fear.
"Hey ASSHOLE! Why were you running?" He punches me in the chest. I start stammering about not wanting to get caught for breaking curfew. I start pissing myself while I'm standing there. I'm totally humiliated and scared. Why would a police officer punch a kid, I'm thinking.
They put me in the back of the squad car. We drive around to the 7-11 next door to the grocery store. They go in and come back out with one of my friends who has gone in and bought himself a Slurpy. They start questioning him. A couple minutes later, my other two friends walk up on their own and start talking to the cops. One of the cops gets me out of the car and brings me over with the others. We all tell our various stories. Where do we live, ages, parents, et cetera. They tell us to go home.
So we start walking home. I'm soaked from the waist down. And you know what I'm thinking? God, I hope my friends don't tell anyone I pissed my pants.
This brought up a big one for me. When I was 13 I snuck out of my house one night with some friends. We ran all over the neighborhood and eventually ended up in the empty parking lot of a grocery store. There were four of us, all walking together side by side. I was the youngest.
One of my friends turns around to look behind us and yells out "RUN!" The rest of us turn around to see bright headlights pointed at us. We're not in the nicest of neighborhoods and for all we know, it could be anybody looking to mess with some kids. We panic-scatter and start sprinting in every direction.
Two seconds later, a police car pulls around in front me. I'm completely out of breath, scared out of my mind, and now I know I'm going to be in trouble with my parents because this particular town has a curfew for kids under 18. Two cops get out quickly and approach.
"Why were you running?" yells the big one. This is my first non-friendly interaction with a cop. I'm still out of breath, and paralyzed with fear.
"Hey ASSHOLE! Why were you running?" He punches me in the chest. I start stammering about not wanting to get caught for breaking curfew. I start pissing myself while I'm standing there. I'm totally humiliated and scared. Why would a police officer punch a kid, I'm thinking.
They put me in the back of the squad car. We drive around to the 7-11 next door to the grocery store. They go in and come back out with one of my friends who has gone in and bought himself a Slurpy. They start questioning him. A couple minutes later, my other two friends walk up on their own and start talking to the cops. One of the cops gets me out of the car and brings me over with the others. We all tell our various stories. Where do we live, ages, parents, et cetera. They tell us to go home.
So we start walking home. I'm soaked from the waist down. And you know what I'm thinking? God, I hope my friends don't tell anyone I pissed my pants.