GUEST COLUMN
No different
Werner Herzog’s
“FITZCARRALDO”
W
e were leaving Southwest alive if that situation happened today. Little Rock heading north Because of the growing number of on Interstate 30. There were these types of incidents, I’m sharing four of us — four black male teenagers. my experience for two reasons. First, I I was in the backseat. There was a BB want to be clear to anyone who knows gun that resembled a handgun inside me that I wasn’t much different from the car. One of the passengers waved those individuthe gun around, making it visible to als identified in any car that passed us on I-30. It was the unfortunate supposed to be a joke. The passenger headlines in your then pointed the gun at the driver as if Faceb o ok a nd he were acting out a hostage situation. Twitter feeds. As ANTWAN The driver played along. This panto- I’ve said before, I PHILLIPS mime only lasted for a few seconds. By wasn’t different; Guest Columnist the time we made it to the river bridge, my opportunities the joke had ended and the BB gun was were. So irrespective of the labels I no longer in sight. have or will obtain and irrespective of We did not know that someone had the circles I have or will enter, years called 911. I can only assume that the ago I could have been the subject of person told the operator, “I just saw the story of a black male injured or a hostage situation on I-30 involving killed in an officer-involved shootfour black males. One of them had a ing. Who knows what labels or titles gun.” would have been obtained by Stephon After we crossed the river bridge, Clark, Michael Brown, Travyon Marwe noticed the lights and sirens of what tin or Tamir Rice if the police handled seemed like three or four police cars. their situations in the same way those We pulled over near the I-30/I-40 split. officers handled mine. The officers immediately exited their Second, our police departments cars with their weapons drawn. I viv- should have ongoing cultural and deidly remember hearing them say, “Get escalation training requirements. I your hands up! Get your hands up!” I know that the LRPD has started in this complied. As they circled the vehicle direction. For example, it was recently they yelled: “Where is the gun?” and reported that the department will con“Who has the gun?” With their guns tinue its annual diversity training for still pointed at us, the officers then 2018. The training will culminate in instructed us to slowly exit the vehi- a “Culture IQ” test. This is encouragcle. We complied. We were eventu- ing, but as an attorney I’m required ally handcuffed while sitting on the to obtain continuing legal education side of the road, as they removed the hours to maintain my law license; othBB gun from the vehicle. The officers erwise I could face suspension or a contacted our parents and the officers fine. With regard to cultural compeinstructed us on the danger and stu- tency and de-escalation tactics, police pidity of our actions. We knew that we officers should have a similar duty to were about to receive the worst pun- obtain annual training hours to remain ishment ever from our parents, but we on duty. This is essential to ensure were uninjured and alive. that officers are prepared to handle I do not remember those officers. In complicated and dangerous situations fact, I do not remember if they were (such as a report of four teenagers with with the Little Rock Police Depart- a gun) and resolve those situations ment or Arkansas State Police, but I without incident. do know that they handled a terrible Obviously, the officers who encounsituation appropriately. In a manner tered my three friends and me handled of moments, they evaluated and de- the situation correctly, and I’m forever escalated the situation. To be clear, grateful. This type of training and the there is no question that our actions mandate of independent investigations were objectively wrong, but they did of police-involved shootings would not justify injury or death. not only turn the page, but start a new After learning of the Stephon Clark chapter in community-police relationstory, one of the more recent examples ships. of an unarmed black man being a victim in a police-involved shooting, I do Antwan Phillips is a lawyer with the not know if I would be uninjured or Wright Lindsey Jennings firm.
7 P.M. TUESDAY, APRIL 17
$9.00
RIVERDALE 10 VIP CINEMA, 2600 CANTRELL RD
501.296.9955 | RIVERDALE10.COM ELECTRIC RECLINER SEATS AND RESERVED SEATING
$20 Early Bird Tickets available up to May 11, tickets are $30 beginning on May 12 for Tour on Saturday, May 12 from 1-4 and Tour on Sunday, May 13 from 1-5. Mother’s Day Brunch, Sunday, May 13, is 11-1 at Curran Hall ($50 ticket includes tour ticket). Candlelight Tour, Saturday, May 12, ($150 per ticket) is 5-7, followed by dinner at 7:30 at Philander Smith.
Get tickets at centralarkansastickets.com arktimes.com APRIL 12, 2018
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