The following irresponsible police action reported by KHOU’s Rucks Russell should scare many. Here is the story as reported.
A young 13 year old dancer, Landry Thompson, came to Houston from Oklahoma. She travelled with her two dance instructors over the weekend. The intent of their visit was to train all weekend with some of the best in dance industry.
When they left the studio Saturday night they stopped at a gas station very exhausted as they searched for their lodging. They were trying to locate their hotel on the GPS. Out of nowhere they were surrounded by the Houston police.
The Houston police dragged them out of the car and handcuffed them all.
“I was kind of freaked out and surprised by it,” said Landry Thompson.
“They just pulled us out of the car. Put our hands behind out backs like we were criminals,” said Landry’s dance instructor Emmanuel Hurd. “He asked me; who is the girl? She is my student. I said I have a notarized letter from her parents stating that I have full guardianship over her while we are here.”
Landry Thompson and the instructors said they pleaded with the police and told the police their story repeatedly. It did not matter to the Houston police. Landry Thompson said, “They still put handcuffs on me. And it really scared me. And they put me in the back of the cop car. I was terrified.” Landry Thompson was taken to Protective Services.
“I was horrified. She was with the people I wanted her to be with. She was with people who were safe who I knew would take care of her,” said Her mother, Destiny Thompson. “Yet they had taken her away from those people and now she was in a shelter, wherever she was with people I didn’t know.”
Protective Services told Destiny Thompson that she would have to fly to Houston to get her daughter. After many phone calls with various officials, Landry Thompson was released back into the custody of her dance instructors.
“I would love an apology,” said Landry Thompson’s mother. “They owe her an apology.”
Soon after, the trio was back at the dance studio. They intend to leave Houston on Monday afternoon.
The Houston police (HPD) has not been responding to inquiries as to what happened.
Were Landry Thompson and dance instructors victims of stereotyping and racism?
Why did the Houston police believe they had to react as they did? Does it have anything to do with the young dancer being a young white girl and the two dance instructors being young black males? If the two instructors were white males would the police officers have reacted in the same manner? The dance instructors had notarized document detailing that they were the young girl’s guardian. What else were they expected to do to ensure they would not be treated like common criminals but the productive human beings they are?
LIKE My Facebook Page – Visit My Blog:EgbertoWillies.com
