Numerous Drivers Pull Over To Check On A Black Woman Who Was Stopped By Cops And Was Screaming For Help
A video has just gone viral on TikTok, showing people pulling over to make sure that a black woman who was stopped by Missouri police was treated fairly.
The media is calling the recording “a document of increased awareness and agency” in police interactions, as citizens come together in “a touching and essential” example of communal accountability for each other.
Posted by @sheniweird 4 days ago, the caption reads: “We have to start policing the police until things start making sense. In today’s world, it’s still unfair so here go!”
The video begins with the videographer backing up her car to get a better view of the developing situation.
Multiple police units pulled over a dark sedan on a highway in Missouri
@sheniweirdWe have to start policing the police until things start making sense. In today’s world, it’s still unfair so here go! #police#news#justice#streets#usa♬ original sound – SheniWeird
It is a person’s constitutional right to videotape or photograph things that are plainly visible in public spaces. That includes capturing the work of police officers.
“When I see a young African American woman screaming for help,” the TikToker explained in captions and voiceovers, “And it’s 3 to 4 White Police with guns drawn on her, and she’s unarmed, you damn right I’m showing up and showing out until I find out what it’s all about.”
“We need answers every time. She deserves the same respect homegrown terrorists got. You’re not just gone shoot her over a traffic violation. Not today.”
Eventually, multiple drivers noticed what was happening and they let the police know there were eyes (and lenses) watching.
“When I pulled over, everyone pulled over,” the TikToker said.
As she walked up, a white man in a Subaru (who had also been recording) gave her a thumbs up, indicating that everything is under control.
So a string of cars stopped near the scene, making sure the officers dealt with the woman appropriately
Image credits: sheniweird
Image credits: sheniweird
Image credits: sheniweird
Image credits: sheniweird
Image credits: sheniweird
Image credits: sheniweird
Image credits: sheniweird
Image credits: sheniweird
Image credits: sheniweird
Image credits: sheniweird
Image credits: sheniweird
Image credits: sheniweird
Image credits: sheniweird
Image credits: sheniweird
Police activity has been in the spotlight in the US for quite some time now, as the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement continues to protest against police brutality and racially charged violence against black people in general.
Missouri is one of the states that saw its fair share of unrest. On August 10, 2014, the day after the fatal shooting of Michael Brown by police officer Darren Wilson, the town of Ferguson erupted in riots and looting.
Most of the people in the comments applauded the efforts of the passers-by who may have helped keep the woman unharmed.
So far, it’s still unclear which police department was involved.
Here’s what people said after watching the video
If police are doing nothing wrong, then they should welcome this level of visibility and accountability to help reestablish public trust. I believe that the only time people don't welcome transparency is when they have something they prefer to keep hidden.
I got a friend that's a cop and he doesn't mind this kind of thing at all. He does get mad when people get too close or try to block him doing his job, but like you said he view the filming as a way for the world to see hey I'm doing my job and I'm doing it the right way
Agreed, except that blocking part of a busy road is not a good decision.
Undoubtedly, this video does not give the full context, i.e. we do not know what happened before the women was pulled over. However, seeing one car with one women yet multiple police cars gives you the impression that something is strange. But for me, as a European, the strangest thing is to read "unarmed". There should not be a rationale to assume that anyone who is pulled over in a civilised country would be armed, let alone that anone who is pulled over would likely engage in a gunfight. If there is a rationale to assume that, you know what you need to change. (Before anyone screams "you cannot take away our guns if you let them keep theirs": it is not about taking away firearms, it is about the role firearms play in society.)
The cops in the US are so paranoid that anyone they stop could be armed, because anyone indeed COULD BE. Which in turn leads to them being needlessly aggressive and dangerous towards normal, harmless citizens. It's just a viscious cycle.
But they especially act that way towards people of color, in a way they never do with white people.
You lie. They have every reason to believe every person no matter what color they are could be armed. So shut up
That is what I tried to imply...the vicious circle of everybody *potentially* being ready to engage in a shootout at any time.
When you have a state like Texas, that just legalized carrying a gun without a permit and removed all reasonable restrictions on the wrong people getting guns, you have a problem. The several people shot in Austin and Huston the next day show how smart that move was. Remember "Thoughts and prayers"? From dumb as a stump Trump who never had a thought and sure as Hell never prayed!!
You do know that Austin and Houston are the 2 liberal bastions in the state of Texas, right? So, there you go with your ridiculous Trump comment. They were most likely Dems that voted for Biden. Because free and easy, right?
Dumb as a stump trump…gotta love it, no matter who you voted for😆
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Why do you have to bring trump everywhere with you? Nothing in this article is even barely related to trump's praying habit. It's time to let go of your TDS (Trump Derangement Syndrome). And no, higher percentage of legal-owned guns don't contribute to more deaths by guns.
Just so you know…..people who LEGALLY own firearms are in the database as licensed firearm carriers. Everyone who LEGALLY owns a firearm goes through an extensive background check, one that takes weeks, maybe months, to come back with a result. A simple check on their onboard computer tells them the owner of the vehicle has a license to carry. When they approach the vehicle the person in the car m driving or passenger, has been educated to INFORM the officer of his/her license and whether or not they are carrying. If they are carrying, they then inform the officer where it is at the moment, on their person, in their purse, in the console, etc…. Now, someone who is NOT LEGALLY carrying the officer has no way of knowing.
You might be right, however, it’s difficult to impart that information when there’s a bullet in your head before you get to speak.
Put yourself in their shoes. There is always a chance that a person is armed and willing to kill a cop anytime a stop is made... of course they will be on high alert. Most have families they want to get home too. Its like the bowl of skittles analogy. If 1 is poisonous, are you going to just eat until you die or be on high alert with each one?
yes they have been gunned down on basic traffic stops, one of them was a crazy militia type and it was his teen son who did the shooting.
This comment has been deleted.
Deleted earlier comment for a correction: It is assumed by cops that anyone is armed, dangerous, and out to kill them. This is how cops are trained. Also, if you're not white, you're "more dangerous", despite evidence to the contrary (if you want dangerous, I give you two words: Donald Trump).... *sigh*
@Ed, your comment is so pathetic, so juvenile, that you made me laugh aloud. Thank you. I needed a good laugh.
To be fair Leo, vast majority of violent crimes are committed by blacks. Unfortunately there is a lack of good parenting in that community and it bleeds into adulthood. Cops are trained this way because the statistics prove they are always more likely to be harmed by non-whites.
Wow. Where are you quoting this statistic from? Racist much?
@Tobin, no, more blacks are arrested and charged. And if there is a "lack of good parenting", LOL, have you seen that over 65% of American homes are dysfunctional, but only 13% of the US is black, soooo..... let's re-check a few assumptions, please. Also, crime is linked to poverty, which is linked to bias in hiring and education. So... Why aren't there a bunch of poor-as-dirt white folk being arrested and seen as automatically dangerous? Hmmm...
You dont get arrested without committing a crime. So yes the 2 go together. And I live next to Ashtabula, Ohio... one of the poorest counties in the country. Also almost all white. Lots of crime and arrests. You just don't see it on the news because it doesn't fit a narrative.
😆😆😆You should be a stand-up comedian, ‘cause this must be a joke! Folks are arrested frequently without having committed a crime…and spend years in jail. You do sound like an ignorant person, but your assumption sounds ignorant.
The unarmed part is also addressing police drawing their weapons.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Context does not matter b/c it is all about the left's cop hating attitudes that matter
I don't hate cops. I hate the racist ones which are by their own admission a huge part of the problem. So instead of blaming people for not wanting to watch murder carried out in front of our eyes by people that are paid to protect us through our taxes start listening to the cops themselves. They've acknowledged the problem. They know it exists. Why don't you believe the police?
I agree
LOL. "The left's cop-hating attitudes". I refer you to 6 January 2021. Using a blue-lives-matter banner on a pole to beat up a cop... by the right.
1. How do you know she’s unarmed right off the bat? 2. Do you know what led up to the stop that resulted in weapons being drawn? For example, if she evaded, use of force continuum dictates that weapons be drawn, as this is now a” felony stop “.
1) If she was armed & screaming for help, she likely would have been killed for being highly emotional while handling a weapon because, even if she was afraid, her volume & the fact she had a weapon would have come across as threatening. I can say with a high level of certainty that if she was actually armed, she would have been killed. 2) What do you think an unarmed, frightened woman did to provoke 4-5 policemen to draw their weapons on her? It doesn't matter what she did, because nobody deserves to die that way. The people watching were making sure she would not lose her life that day, & that if she did there would be a clear record of what happened to determine whether there was police brutality or not. Again, it doesn't matter what she did, because in America everyone is innocent until proven guilty in a fair trial, which means a death penalty on the side of the road is grossly inappropriate & unfair whether she ran a red light or robbed a store.
What could an unarmed woman do to provoke 4-5 officers to pull their guns on her? There are statistics that prove that Black Americans have force disproportionately used on them.
Google Sheketha Holman. She got tased for asking why officers were taking her daughter. She was in a wheelchair, and not a threat on any level whatsoever. They tased her, ripped her out of her chair, and tased her again after she'd been handcuffed. Any "oh, but what if?" I had left for cops died the day I saw her video.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Definitely missing part of the story...
People are lame for downvoting your comment.
If police are doing nothing wrong, then they should welcome this level of visibility and accountability to help reestablish public trust. I believe that the only time people don't welcome transparency is when they have something they prefer to keep hidden.
I got a friend that's a cop and he doesn't mind this kind of thing at all. He does get mad when people get too close or try to block him doing his job, but like you said he view the filming as a way for the world to see hey I'm doing my job and I'm doing it the right way
Agreed, except that blocking part of a busy road is not a good decision.
Undoubtedly, this video does not give the full context, i.e. we do not know what happened before the women was pulled over. However, seeing one car with one women yet multiple police cars gives you the impression that something is strange. But for me, as a European, the strangest thing is to read "unarmed". There should not be a rationale to assume that anyone who is pulled over in a civilised country would be armed, let alone that anone who is pulled over would likely engage in a gunfight. If there is a rationale to assume that, you know what you need to change. (Before anyone screams "you cannot take away our guns if you let them keep theirs": it is not about taking away firearms, it is about the role firearms play in society.)
The cops in the US are so paranoid that anyone they stop could be armed, because anyone indeed COULD BE. Which in turn leads to them being needlessly aggressive and dangerous towards normal, harmless citizens. It's just a viscious cycle.
But they especially act that way towards people of color, in a way they never do with white people.
You lie. They have every reason to believe every person no matter what color they are could be armed. So shut up
That is what I tried to imply...the vicious circle of everybody *potentially* being ready to engage in a shootout at any time.
When you have a state like Texas, that just legalized carrying a gun without a permit and removed all reasonable restrictions on the wrong people getting guns, you have a problem. The several people shot in Austin and Huston the next day show how smart that move was. Remember "Thoughts and prayers"? From dumb as a stump Trump who never had a thought and sure as Hell never prayed!!
You do know that Austin and Houston are the 2 liberal bastions in the state of Texas, right? So, there you go with your ridiculous Trump comment. They were most likely Dems that voted for Biden. Because free and easy, right?
Dumb as a stump trump…gotta love it, no matter who you voted for😆
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Why do you have to bring trump everywhere with you? Nothing in this article is even barely related to trump's praying habit. It's time to let go of your TDS (Trump Derangement Syndrome). And no, higher percentage of legal-owned guns don't contribute to more deaths by guns.
Just so you know…..people who LEGALLY own firearms are in the database as licensed firearm carriers. Everyone who LEGALLY owns a firearm goes through an extensive background check, one that takes weeks, maybe months, to come back with a result. A simple check on their onboard computer tells them the owner of the vehicle has a license to carry. When they approach the vehicle the person in the car m driving or passenger, has been educated to INFORM the officer of his/her license and whether or not they are carrying. If they are carrying, they then inform the officer where it is at the moment, on their person, in their purse, in the console, etc…. Now, someone who is NOT LEGALLY carrying the officer has no way of knowing.
You might be right, however, it’s difficult to impart that information when there’s a bullet in your head before you get to speak.
Put yourself in their shoes. There is always a chance that a person is armed and willing to kill a cop anytime a stop is made... of course they will be on high alert. Most have families they want to get home too. Its like the bowl of skittles analogy. If 1 is poisonous, are you going to just eat until you die or be on high alert with each one?
yes they have been gunned down on basic traffic stops, one of them was a crazy militia type and it was his teen son who did the shooting.
This comment has been deleted.
Deleted earlier comment for a correction: It is assumed by cops that anyone is armed, dangerous, and out to kill them. This is how cops are trained. Also, if you're not white, you're "more dangerous", despite evidence to the contrary (if you want dangerous, I give you two words: Donald Trump).... *sigh*
@Ed, your comment is so pathetic, so juvenile, that you made me laugh aloud. Thank you. I needed a good laugh.
To be fair Leo, vast majority of violent crimes are committed by blacks. Unfortunately there is a lack of good parenting in that community and it bleeds into adulthood. Cops are trained this way because the statistics prove they are always more likely to be harmed by non-whites.
Wow. Where are you quoting this statistic from? Racist much?
@Tobin, no, more blacks are arrested and charged. And if there is a "lack of good parenting", LOL, have you seen that over 65% of American homes are dysfunctional, but only 13% of the US is black, soooo..... let's re-check a few assumptions, please. Also, crime is linked to poverty, which is linked to bias in hiring and education. So... Why aren't there a bunch of poor-as-dirt white folk being arrested and seen as automatically dangerous? Hmmm...
You dont get arrested without committing a crime. So yes the 2 go together. And I live next to Ashtabula, Ohio... one of the poorest counties in the country. Also almost all white. Lots of crime and arrests. You just don't see it on the news because it doesn't fit a narrative.
😆😆😆You should be a stand-up comedian, ‘cause this must be a joke! Folks are arrested frequently without having committed a crime…and spend years in jail. You do sound like an ignorant person, but your assumption sounds ignorant.
The unarmed part is also addressing police drawing their weapons.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Context does not matter b/c it is all about the left's cop hating attitudes that matter
I don't hate cops. I hate the racist ones which are by their own admission a huge part of the problem. So instead of blaming people for not wanting to watch murder carried out in front of our eyes by people that are paid to protect us through our taxes start listening to the cops themselves. They've acknowledged the problem. They know it exists. Why don't you believe the police?
I agree
LOL. "The left's cop-hating attitudes". I refer you to 6 January 2021. Using a blue-lives-matter banner on a pole to beat up a cop... by the right.
1. How do you know she’s unarmed right off the bat? 2. Do you know what led up to the stop that resulted in weapons being drawn? For example, if she evaded, use of force continuum dictates that weapons be drawn, as this is now a” felony stop “.
1) If she was armed & screaming for help, she likely would have been killed for being highly emotional while handling a weapon because, even if she was afraid, her volume & the fact she had a weapon would have come across as threatening. I can say with a high level of certainty that if she was actually armed, she would have been killed. 2) What do you think an unarmed, frightened woman did to provoke 4-5 policemen to draw their weapons on her? It doesn't matter what she did, because nobody deserves to die that way. The people watching were making sure she would not lose her life that day, & that if she did there would be a clear record of what happened to determine whether there was police brutality or not. Again, it doesn't matter what she did, because in America everyone is innocent until proven guilty in a fair trial, which means a death penalty on the side of the road is grossly inappropriate & unfair whether she ran a red light or robbed a store.
What could an unarmed woman do to provoke 4-5 officers to pull their guns on her? There are statistics that prove that Black Americans have force disproportionately used on them.
Google Sheketha Holman. She got tased for asking why officers were taking her daughter. She was in a wheelchair, and not a threat on any level whatsoever. They tased her, ripped her out of her chair, and tased her again after she'd been handcuffed. Any "oh, but what if?" I had left for cops died the day I saw her video.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Definitely missing part of the story...
People are lame for downvoting your comment.