Me too.
well, and so do a lot of black folk who have some historical basis for feeling mistreated. I looked around on the black community types in the webz, and found some citing a lot of history.
Second thoughts, maybe it was good judgment to let the cop go rather than try the case in the press. And maybe black dude Sotomayor had a point too. Maybe a fair number of black folks would do what it takes to make peace rather than fight everything out in high rhetoric and demonstrations and cultivating resentments. I hope so.
My general idea of the line the police have to mark is this. You don't lose your temper, if the cop has lost his. You leave if asked, gladly. You don't come back either. Relevant to this situation, where the stated purpose was to end a party complained of as trespass or not approved by the owners, it is reasonable if they ask you leave. If they want you to sit down or ask some questions, they need some kind of reason. Disorderly conduct, running away, and confronting the police are "reasons" only so far as they may relate to the complaint they are acting on. For example, if no one complained about drugs, it would not "fly" for them to line up everybody and do a full body search for drug packets hidden in private places. If you have drugs. and they ask you to leave, leave in a calm manner, for sure.
there are some definite legal precedents regarding arrests, searches, detainment, and the specific things they can ask you do do. I believe sometimes in the name of public order, the police push their limits. Would make a good thread by itself.
