Police brutality. Also referred to as police violence, is a civil rights violation in which officers exercise undue or excessive force against the subject. This includes, but is not limited to, physical or verbal harassment, physical or mental injury, property damage, or death. Though deeply ingrained in modern society, the police force in the US is a relatively modern invention. In Colonial America, Policing was much more informal. Towns commonly relied on the Night Watch in which volunteers signed up for specific time slots to keep an eye out for crime in their designated area. But as the nation grew, Policing systems adapted and evolved with it. In larger cities, the Night Watch proved too small and ineffective for the rapidly growing population. The first publicly funded organized Police Force with officers on duty full-time was created in Boston in 1838. In the South however, The police force was largely developed as slave patrols tasked with chasing down Runaways and preventing slaves from revolting and demanding power or freedom. Today, the total number of sworn law enforcement officers in the US has ballooned to over 800,000. The highest figure ever. 99% of killings by police in the last seven years have not resulted in officers being charged with the crime. My name's Anthony Padilla, and today I'm gonna be remotely sitting down with survivors of police brutality to learn what it's really like to endure this behavior from those who have sworn to protect and serve them. Are these instances of police brutality few and far between? Caused by just a couple of bad apples in the bunch, or does the insurmountable amount of evidence serve as a spotlight on the true condition of our country's police brutality epidemic? A: Hello, Leon. L: What's up, bro? A: Kylla. K: Hi, how are you? A: Cheyenne. C: Hi. A: Thank you so much for coming on and teaching us about the unfortunate reality of police brutality. L: Thanks for sharing your platform, man, I appreciate it. A: What do you consider yourself, a victim of police brutality, a survivor of an unfortunate event? C: I guess a survivor because I don't like to really consider myself a victim. L: Yeah, I consider myself a survivor. K: Not necessarily a victim, but like a survivor of police brutality is how I would consider myself. A: Can you describe what led up to, and eventually occurred during the incident? L: It was actually a traffic stop. I had allegedly ran a stop sign. The police officers pulled me over, I provided my driver's license registration and car insurance. K: There was a restraining order placed against my father from an ex-girlfriend at our house where we were residents of, and so the police came, assuming that he didn't live there. C: So, my boyfriend and I had gone out to Santa Monica to protest, and at one point When we realized, okay, like, we need to leave because the police were saying, like, it's curfew now. We were completely unaware because I had thought curfew was at 8 o'clock and it ended up being at 6 o'clock and we moved At 5:00, and so by the time they had told us, and when I looked at my phone it was already 6 o'clock, so I was like, oh my gosh. Okay, we need to get the heck out of here. So, every time we would run to try to get back to my car, where it was parked, there was always, like, a police lineup, you know, in the streets. And they would be like okay, go this way. So we would run that way, and then they'd be like, go this way. So we'd run that way. It got to a point where we literally ran in a circle and then we were completely blocked in. Like, on all four sides, there was no way of getting out. We just stood there because we figured okay, well, you know, this is it. Like, we're either gonna get shot or we're gonna get arrested or whatever it is. So at that point, I started to kind of scream what I wanted to scream to them, just saying, this is supposed to be 'America, the land of the free', not the land of the controlled by the police, and killed by the police, and like, this is not what God would want. I got arrested at 6:45. I believe I got there, maybe, you know, 7:15/7:30, and then I didn't leave there till 1:50 a.m. And then from there, after they patted us all down, they put us in this cage. Basically three walls, and then in front of me was like a gate, or like a fence. (Sigh) There was just tables on the other side of the fence filled with a bunch of police that were just sitting, and talking, and laughing, and enjoying their time like eating their pizza, and drinking, and just staring at us. There was no bathroom where I was, and so people were literally urinating in the corner. And this was a unisex cell, so guys and girls. I was trying not to hyperventilate, I felt like I couldn't breathe practically. There was a police officer that was looking dead at me and was just laughing at me. L: Instead of, you know, just issueing me a ticket or citation, these officers told me that I was lying about my identity. They used racial slurs toward me, the officers tried to physically remove me from the car and I drove off. C: So, the officer that was writing me the citation came over, and took me back into the bus. I was still handcuffed, so I took a step off and it was officer Cornejo. He was cutting the zip ties with a knife. He had already, previously stabbed another girl's hand when he was cutting hers because she started, like, screaming outside of the bus. I think because I was just, so in my head that I didn't, like, process until I pulled my hands forward and looked down, that he did this to my hand. I literally could see my belt I, personally didn't even see these two because I only saw this. K: My father was under the influence, so he wasn't complying, but they took him in handcuffs. And then, a few hours later, we get a call that he is, um, dead. He was placed under a hold that was deemed inhumane under the Department of Justice, and it was a similar hold that George Floyd was placed under. They were dragging him from the police car, in handcuffs, like, his pants are falling down, like, he wasn't coherent. And then the next thing you know is they're calling. For help. Because he's not breathing. It's just really difficult to hear that at 15, and have your whole world changed in that way. I got in the ambulance, you know, and they took me there. When I got in, they gave me 21 stitches. There's so many things I can't do just because, realistically, this is how my hand kind of constantly always is. A: You can't grip or anything? C: I have, like, a lot of numbness in my hand. L: When I drove up, one of the officers jumped in my vehicle from the passenger's side and he shot me five times, point-blank right. After he shot me, I ended up crashing into a porch. He slammed me on the ground, handcuffed me, one of the officers even kneeled next to my head, and he told me several times, like, I hope you f***ing die, you know, and next thing I know I was waking up in the ICU shackled to the bed, and I swear, you know... My life really, really changed A: What was going on through your mind during the whole situation? I was pretty numb about it. Like, I didn't-- I still don't feel like I've processed it all the way. Like, those times were like, I'll just be having a normal day, and then randomly cry about it. But there's a lot of times where I feel like as people of color we have to push everything down just to survive, just to move on through our everyday lives. And so there's not a lot of ways that we can process our trauma. It's so prevalent, but there's not a way for us to actually get help. Like, there's not therapy for if your dad is murdered by the police, you know? Even though that happens to so many people. L: I just prayed bro. I prayed to survive. I used to box before I got shot, and so, you know, I began to take deep breaths, deep and slow breaths To ensure that, you know, I didn't stop breathing. A: I feel like, you know, "getting shot" is depicted in so much media, that people are almost desensitized to it. Would you feel comfortable describing, like, you know, what that feels like and just what goes on through your head when you realize that you've been shot? L: Honestly, my--- my body, it went into immediate shock. In that moment, I wasn't in pain. However, I feared for my life. It was extremely painful. I still have a bullet in my backside. I experience pain every day. That's why I tell people, like, the outrage that people are seeing right now, that's what I live every single day. A: Why do you think this unnecessary brutality was inflicted upon you? C: I just kept thinking, like, maybe they had done that and targeted me because they could have believed, considering the fact that I spoke up, that I was a type of organizer? A: Right, so there could be a world where these police were trying to ensure protests wouldn't happen, maybe wouldn't be as organized because they're trying to target the leaders of them. C: Yeah, and like, try to, you know, scare us, and push away our hope, and our voices. K: I would say, because he is a large black man and he was acting, I wouldn't say erratic, like, he wasn't being violent, but he wasn't acting in a way that a person of sound mind would be acting. So he was a threat, on top of a threat, on top of a threat. And he had had run-ins with the police before, but that doesn't mean that somebody has to die. Just because they've been to jail before. L: Historically, that's just, you know, what we've experienced in, you know, black and brown communities. I remember when I first started driving. From the moment I got my license, I was pulled over, you know, several times a month. There were times where I would be, I would be pulled over three or four times a week. A: oh my--- L: And these officers would literally just, you know, pull me over. Search the car. It also happen to most of my friends as well, right? It started to happen when we were so young. We were culturally conditioned to believe that was normal. A: How has your life changed since all of this happened? K: I lost a lot of friends, I felt really isolated and alone because nobody really knew what I was going through. It just feels like--- like the worst weight, like, on your chest. And you have to pretend that everything's okay, and do everything normally. L: So, I'm a wheelchair user now. And so, you know, there was a huge lifestyle change. Also, after I was shot I was charged, bro. A: You were charged for what? L: It was multiple accounts of aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, resisting arrest. A: Wow. I might be aggravated and resist arrest if I was pulled over for no reason and then had cops try to pull me out of my car and then shoot me five times. L: I had to fight for my freedom, and while fighting for my freedom I became, you know, an activist. I fought for myself and for other people. A: Were the cops who were responsible for this brutality held accountable for their actions? K: There was an investigation done, and they went to court for it, and they were found not guilty of any criminal charges. They weren't held accountable, either by their Police Department, nor by the justice system. L: The cop that shot me has been promoted to Detective. A: How is that okay? How is that okay? L: And again, that is what supports this distrust. You know, people want to say "why don't you trust police officers?" "Why don't you --" You know, all police officers aren't bad, but then the system supports and promotes police officers who, who are violent and they're never held accountable. A: Before we learn more about the unfortunate reality of police brutality, I just want to take a quick moment to mention that 100% of profits from this video will be donated directly to National Police Accountability Project. NPAD is a nonprofit that was created to protect the human, and civil rights of individuals and their encounters with law enforcement, and detention facility personnel. Donations made to NPAD go toward fighting to put an end to police brutality of all forms. I'll include a link to NPAD down in the description below. If you also want to make a donation to help support the cause. That's all I wanted to say, now back to learning about the unfortunate reality of police brutality. How has your perception of the police changed since that incident? C: My father raised me to really respect anybody in uniform, and now I just any time I see a police officer It's just like, you know, everything that goes to my mind is "Are they going to re-arrest me?" Like, I just don't feel safe. At all, period. L: I grew up distrusting the police, still the same. Every belief that I had about the police, I learned to be true the night I was shot. K: For a very long time I felt like I had Stockholm Syndrome, where I would be overly like, "Oh, not all police are bad." Like, "Even though they killed my dad." Like, I was in a state of wanting acceptance. And to be like, "This is like just an anomaly. This isn't something that's perpetually happening." But as I got older, and older and saw time, after time like, nobody's being held accountable for this, and George Floyd really propelled me into activism and really trying to make my voice heard about this because I felt like I was silenced for so long. A: How did seeing that video of George Floyd impact you, considering--- it very well might have been exactly what happened to your father? K: Knowing the knowledge of what happened to my dad, and seeing that, and being like that could have been him, like, he could have died just like that. It really broke my heart. And the fact that we all had to see that on national TV for it to, for it to be a spark for change is really sad because there's so many instances where it's not recorded. You know, there's not somebody there with a cell phone and we just let it slide under the rug. There's no accountability. There's---- nothing changes. A: Do you think the current police system needs to be reformed or completely defunded? K: Yeah, I think defunding the police is a very strong statement to be made, but it's also pretty practical because--- like for example, Spokane has a really big Police Department. They don't have a big mental health system, They don't have a homeless system, They don't have a drug rehab system, and the majority of people that are arrested, are arrested for drug-related offenses or arrested because they have mental health issues and their danger to themselves or others, Or they're just homeless and they need a place to stay. So they commit petty crimes in order to go to jail so that they can have three warm meals and a place to sleep. So I feel like investing in a community is the way to prevent crime and to have, you know, specialized task forces to deal with predictable crime patterns. A: Can you help kind of explain what defunding the police means to people because I feel like many people who hear that term, think that people that say defund the police are vying for anarchy, and hoping that, just like, you know, let the people figure it out. K: Defunding the police means reallocating funds that go to police that are being over militarized, so they're able to buy tanks are able to buy riot gear and Putting it towards places that will actually benefit the community and prevent the crime that the police are trying to apprehend. So if they're able to take money from the police department and put it towards social services, such as, you know, taking care of the homeless, the mental health, drug addiction, after-school programs, food banks, housing, education, all of those things. It will benefit society more than paying more and more money for police to patrol neighborhoods. That only treats the symptom, It doesn't treat the disease, which is poverty. It's neglect, it's all of these things that are different types of societal failures that the police shouldn't be responsible for. A: Why do you think it's so difficult for for some people to grasp the reality that police brutality happens so much more frequently than than they might think? L: People who don't think it is a reality, people don't think it exists, They're viewing was going on from a place of privilege. Again, awareness, right? Be open minded. I would encourage, like, people to see what's happening because when you're seeing millions of people protesting across the country, they're not protesting for no reason. K: A lot of people view the police as a customer service. So when you see videos of Karen's calling the police on people for things that aren't crimes, they honestly view the police as people who are there to help their every need. And, you know people like me, people of color view the police as a threatening force who are going to either take their lives away or send them to jail. A: Have you ever had any positive experiences with the police? L: I have a great relationship with a few police officers, you know, within the city. They really represent what policing can look like here in this country. A: There are no tests that police have to take to ensure that they are a good person, a kind and nurturing person. Someone that will help talk things out or deescalate a situation before it becomes something big. But it sounds like you have appreciation for those that do. L: Police officers, like, they shouldn't be predators. They shouldn't treat us like we're terrorists. And that's what has been going on for So long. But then, you know, there's those police officers who, you know, are our football coaches, and our basketball coaches. Who live in the community that they police A: Right, Yeah. There's a lot of people saying that they think police should have to live in the area that they police. L: Yeah, I strongly believe that. The incentive for making it safe, right? Because your children gotta grow up there. It's different, right? The way you nurture relationships, the way you value people, is going to be different if you live there. A: If there's anyone watching who is a victim of police brutality themselves, Is there anything that you'd want to say to them? K: You're not alone, and that there are so many people out here who are fighting for you, and who want you to get justice, they want you to be treated equally in this country, and there's just an overwhelming collective voice now, and I feel like this is really going to be the momentum for change. And that I don't want you to give up hope that one day you will get justice, you know, it's been five years for me. It's been 20 years for some people, but I genuinely believe that eventually, we will all get justice for the crimes that have been committed against us and our families. A: Vadez wants to know if any of the police officers involved showed any sign of remorse or anything like that? L: Absolutely not A: None? L: It was disheartening, like, even after court. I just felt like a big, like, every time I seen them or looked at them, I felt a big, like, F*** you. I feel like, when they looked at me, that's what they were saying. A: Like you deserved it? L: Absolutely, bro. To feel that type of hatred, you know. It made me, you know, it made me angry, it made me hate all police officers in those moments. C: Definitely not. He sat there and, like I said, with my blood still on his glove, and he continued. The same knife that he kept me with, and he definitely had a guilty look on his face, but it wasn't like a "Oh man, like, poor girl" "I feel bad about this." It was a, "Oh man. I might lose my job." No, definitely. There's no remorse at all. A: They say every single police officer is complicit in a system that actively devalues the lives of people of color and the "bad cops" are encouraged and continuing their harm by the silence of the ones who see themselves as good. Victoria wants to know if you believe in this idea that no cop is a good cop. L: I had a conversation with my son about two years ago, and he was asking me who shot me, right? and I told him some "bad guys shot me." He's like, "No the bad guys didn't shoot you. A police officer shot you." And I said, "Yeah a police officer shot me." "He said, "Well, are they the bad guys?" and I didn't say anything, right? He said, well, you know, "Why didn't any good cops help you?" And I didn't know what to say. A: Yeah, L: I believe there are good people, who happen to be police officers, but I believe policing is built on racism and prejudice, and so officers are bad. And so, until we fix the system, It's going to be so hard to discern the good from the bad. A: Do you think social media is helping or hurting the movement? K: I would say 60% helping a 40% hurting. So like the black square thing that happened, it was supposed to be helpful, but it ended up hurting people who wanted to look at the black lives matter hashtag in order to get actual information and resources. It was just filled with empty black squares. Which is kind of like, ironically representative of a lot of people who are part of performative acts activism, which is a bunch of empty---- emptiness. Like you don't have any substance to your activism. But I really do think that on the ground footage, on the ground testimonies of what's happening at these protests, shows a side of police brutality that we haven't seen before, where police are just openly doing this and not being held accountable for by their police chief dressed in white who's right next to them. So, they're giving them the okay to behave this way. A:What do you think the biggest misconception is about victims and survivors of police brutality? C: Like, a lot of people just don't believe it, even with all the facts laid out in front of them, and the misconception is that, like, deep down that we're bad people. People will dig and dig and dig, and try to find anything everything from your past. Whether I'm out past curfew or whether I was using my voice, like, nobody, not even just me. Nobody deserved the treatment that I experienced. A: All right, You got five seconds a shout-out or promote anything you want directly in a camera, Go. K: Trayvon, Martin's mother is running for Congress in Florida. And if you would, you know support her campaign, that'd be really great. L: If you would like to follow me and my story you can add me on Instagram or Twitter and you can also check out my short film. The link is in my bio C: I want to shout out my cousin, my boyfriend, black lives matter L: So you have to subscribe to Anthony Padilla's page because he's bringing so many different awesome people together telling great stories. He has great content. A: Thank you so much Kylla, I feel like I understand the unfortunate reality of police brutality just a little bit more. K: Thank you for having me. A: After sitting down with these survivors of police brutality, I've come to understand just how common this behavior really is. It feels completely justified that so many people are outraged by the police system in the United States, and the concept of revamping the police system entirely from the ground up, and redistributing it's funds absolutely deserves to be considered. See you later. Bye guys. C: Press like! A: You know that's not true though firsthand. C: Yeah exactly, and so that's where ---- haha firsthand-- A: Sorry --- ahaha! A: I should not say firsthand when talking. C: Its ok. I thought of it that time.
When he said ‘unfortunate reality’ instead of ‘wondrous world’ my chest sank a little bit. What a fantastic video and inspiring use of his platform. Once again, Padilla proves he is truly the best interviewer.