Being Black in America is often considered a crime within itself. This was evident by the way the Los Angeles County sheriffs responded to three Black teens who needed help.
TMZ reported on Monday that three Black teenage boys were held at gunpoint by the sheriffs despite these children being the victims.
The incident took place in Santa Clarita, California. It was caught on camera and posted to Instagram by one of the teenagers' mothers, Tammi Collins. In the video, the police arrive at the scene with their guns pointed at the children while the teens have their hands up trying to explain that they were not the suspects.
"How will I help my son recover from this," Collins captioned the video. She goes on to explain that her son and his friend were attacked by a homeless man with a knife. Several witnesses called the police after while watching the altercation.
"He was attacked by a gentleman (homeless guy) who approached them and first asked them if they had any crack then tried to take their things. The guy became so aggressive that he took his shirt off pulled out a knife and whip them tried to stabbed them," she wrote before emphasizing the trauma the police have caused the children.
"This is how the police responded. This is something my son and his friends will never forget," Collins continued. "I’m still wonder how will I ever help my son recover from this traumatic experience. Please pray for my family."
The Sheriff's Department responded to this backlash by claiming it received an assault with a deadly weapon 911 call. The call came in as "two adult males hitting another man with a skateboard."
"The kids were detained and after deputies spoke with them and witnesses, they were released and no arrests were made," TMZ reported. "The department doesn't know what happened to the homeless man."
