Black Teen Profiled, Pepper-Sprayed Inside His Own Home After Cops Mistake Him For Burglar
The parents of a North Carolina teenager are outraged that police pepper-sprayed their son on Monday inside their home after a neighbor mistook him for an intruder. Ricky and Stacy Tyler, both white, have fostered 18-year-old DeShawn Currie for about a year.
[su_center_ad]ABC 11 reports, the Tylers, their three young children and DeShawn moved to Fuquay-Varina in July. The couple said that while they are still getting to know their neighbors, it’s hurtful someone would assume DeShawn was a burglar just for going about his normal routine of walking home after school.
“He’s my baby boy just as much as my other three children are,” Stacy said.
DeShawn was coming home early from school so she left the side door to their home unlocked.
Police said when a neighbor saw DeShawn walk in, they called 911 to report a break-in.
Three officers responded and came inside the home.
“They was like, ‘Put your hands on the door,'” DeShawn recalled. “I was like, ‘For what? This is my house.’ I was like, ‘Why are y’all in here?'”
When officers pointed to the pictures of the Tyler’s three children on the mantle, suggesting that he doesn’t belong there, DeShawn became angry.
When an argument ensued, DeShawn said one of the officers pepper-sprayed him in the face.
Stacy came home and found the EMS treating DeShawn in the driveway.
She explained to the officers that DeShawn was a part of their family, but her children had a difficult time understanding the police officers’ reaction.
“My 5-year-old last night, she looked at me and said, ‘Mama I don’t understand why they hated our brother, and they had to come in and hurt him.'”
“Everything that we’ve worked so hard for in the past years was stripped away yesterday in just a matter of moments,” Ricky Tyler said.
“I’m feeling comfortable.” I had moved into my room, and I’m feeling like I’m loved,” DeShawn said. “And then when they come in and they just profile me and say that I’m not who I am. And that I do not stay here because there was white kids on the wall, that really made me mad.”
Police released a statement on Monday saying officers responded to a report of suspicious criminal activity at the Tyler’s home and that there have been reports of such activity in the area.
According to police, DeShawn became threatening and belligerent. When he would not follow the officers’ instructions, they pepper-sprayed him.
In his own home. [su_csky_ad]
tracey marie October 8th, 2014 at 1:33 pm
Right….black guys in their own homes are not allowed to be angry when they are attacked and profiled.
NW10 October 8th, 2014 at 1:47 pm
How much more evidence will it take for Chief Justice Roberts to admit he was wrong to declare racism over?
tiredoftea October 8th, 2014 at 2:52 pm
When he gets stopped in his car and shot for obeying a cop’s command.
causeican October 8th, 2014 at 2:10 pm
Law and order running amok.
jasperjava October 9th, 2014 at 7:51 am
Which is contrary to the “order” part of the equation.
Hasun Byam October 8th, 2014 at 2:14 pm
as a black male I have wanted to call the cops because something happen but was to dam scared they would kill or beat the hell out of me
tracey marie October 8th, 2014 at 2:37 pm
Now young black men aren’t even safe in their own homes.
Chris Evans October 8th, 2014 at 3:02 pm
Racism is alive and well, it seems…
Skydog2 October 8th, 2014 at 3:17 pm
“DeShawn became threatening and belligerent. When he would not follow the officers’ instructions, they pepper-sprayed him”
I’m sensing a common theme here.
Anomaly 100 October 8th, 2014 at 3:30 pm
Yes, it’s called racism.
fancypants October 8th, 2014 at 3:56 pm
these cops are lucky this dude wasn’t a gun toting right to carry tea bagger with lots of ammo
maybe we would be talking about justifiable homicide instead ?
Rusty Shackleford October 8th, 2014 at 4:19 pm
“Threatening” with the police roughly translates to “black.”
That said, these cops barged into his home uninvited and without a warrant. Is a man not justified if he attacks armed intruders threatening him in his home?
fancypants October 8th, 2014 at 4:27 pm
last time I checked you can shoot people who don’t identify themselves before kicking in your front door.
Rusty Shackleford October 8th, 2014 at 4:30 pm
Not if you’re black. Ask Marvin Louis Guy. He shot and killed an armed intruder who crawled through his window in the middle of the night. Turns out it was a cop, unannounced and unidentified, performing a raid with a no-knock warrant (that didn’t even turn up anything).
Texas is pushing to give him the death penalty.
StoneyCurtisll October 8th, 2014 at 4:32 pm
Another reason why..
Texas Sucks..:)
Rusty Shackleford October 8th, 2014 at 4:33 pm
Indeed it does, but let’s not pretend cops in blue states aren’t pigs. NYPD and LAPD wrote the book on police brutality.
StoneyCurtisll October 8th, 2014 at 4:34 pm
You are correct sir~!
StoneyCurtisll October 8th, 2014 at 4:19 pm
You forgot mention this happened “in his own home”…
StoneyCurtisll October 8th, 2014 at 4:23 pm
The common thread, (theme) I see…
Is that you seem to support a police state where every instance of police abuse of power is justified..
No matter how Egregious.
whatthe46 October 9th, 2014 at 12:55 am
you have issues that really need to be visited upon by a psychiatrist.
rg9rts October 10th, 2014 at 8:33 am
He is the resident copthug defender. I can’t wait till its his turn..,.,.lol
Dez October 8th, 2014 at 3:25 pm
Who wouldn’t be pissed if the cops broke into your home, accused you of robbing it, and then insulted your family because they don’t look like you. Now the teen’s younger siblings are traumatized. A 5 year old just learned the lesson to not trust the cops.
jbandsma October 8th, 2014 at 3:38 pm
Want to bet the other reports of ‘suspicious activity’ in the neighborhood only started when this family moved in?
StoneyCurtisll October 8th, 2014 at 4:52 pm
The Revolution Will not be Televised…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGaoXAwl9kw&list=FLd7xLvM5DtriMX01H65n0nQ&index=4
Hirightnow October 8th, 2014 at 5:32 pm
I figure it’ll make a decent C.O.D. game, as well…
R J October 8th, 2014 at 5:59 pm
And they wonder why it is black people hate the police
whatthe46 October 8th, 2014 at 7:00 pm
“…DeShawn became threatening and belligerent. When he would not follow the officers’ instructions, they pepper-sprayed him.” and and… he had every right to get pissed, he was in his own fk’n house. as if to say, just because you’re in your own home and black, doesn’t mean you can get angry at the police. kiss my ass.
AnthonyLook October 8th, 2014 at 8:40 pm
Police officer’s “rights” and legal ability to enter others homes has to be specifically revisited and reformed.
rg9rts October 10th, 2014 at 8:32 am
I’ll bet that house is on the market again…..who needs neighbors like that??? Dreadlocks???? You are on drugs …and Bubba the cop ain’t much brighter…