Video shows Black man hogtied and tazed by cops for test-riding bike he bought his son
Some people still find it hard to believe that there is actually a disparity in the way that police treat people of color and the white majority, as unimaginable as this may seem.
When you encounter such a person, it may be helpful to recount the story of Stanley Gracius who was merely trying to buy a bike at a Walmart in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania when he was tackled, tased, and arrested by police in a way that would never have happened to a white man.
Apparently, Gracius was trying to confirm that the bicycle he was about to purchase for his son was in proper operating condition by taking a short test ride down the aisle of the store.
No one in the store immediately around him seemed to mind.
“The kind man was test riding a bike through the store while playing some music and telling random strangers he hopes they have a great day and complimenting them,” one witness to the scene wrote. “He was absolutely no bother to anyone.”
Stanley then proceeded to the checkout counter to pay for his new purchase.
While he was at the counter paying, police officers arrived and began accosting him and wrestling him to the ground without any apparent cause as Gracius loudly protested that he had a receipt for his purchase.
The video posted to Twitter by a witness shows the unnecessary police violence involved in dealing with a man with presumed innocence who isn’t even given a reason for his sudden tasing and detainment as the witness describes in her posts.
today in walmart (1135 berkshire blvd in Wyomissing, PA) the police unnecessarily used excessive force by tazing a black man who did NOTHING WRONG. (1) pic.twitter.com/MJ7q3vOPu0
— layla (@labousaab44) July 21, 2020
his hand and twisted it as he tried to forcefully arrest him. i couldn't tell you the reason. the man kept asking why he was being arrested and telling the officer to check the receipt to prove he paid for everything at checkout and was clearly unaware of why everything was (3)
— layla (@labousaab44) July 21, 2020
had no idea what was going on. he kept calmly repeating that he did not understand why he was being arrested and harassed the way he was. eventually the officers tied his feet up with a belt and were able to forcefully shove him into their vehicle. officers kept ignoring (5)
— layla (@labousaab44) July 21, 2020
(which he wasn't) they should have dealt with the situation more reasonably. they could have made him leave or kicked him out. there was NO NEED TO TACKLE AND TAZE THIS INNOCENT MAN. AS HE WAS LEAVING. it's not even like he was still playing music and riding the bike. (7)
— layla (@labousaab44) July 21, 2020
if only he knew what it's like to be a freaking minority in this country. but alas! ACAB. (9) pic.twitter.com/HzsY2gKmmV
— layla (@labousaab44) July 21, 2020
Another witness followed the action in the parking lot outside the store as the police officers forcibly put Gracius into a police car after he unsuccessfully pleads with them to provide a reason for his arrest.
FOLLOW UP: Wyomissing PA man racially profiled & arrested for riding a bike to the cash register in Walmart after paying for the bike from PublicFreakout
When local BLM activists heard about the unwarranted arrest and immediately began mobilizing.
update‼️‼️did that say FELONY? here we go again, slapping felonies on people so they cant vote…. WE NEED TO BE LOUDER!!! pic.twitter.com/ehyz5eS1pF
— BLM (@wingwallah) July 21, 2020
The local activists later provided more detail on the police officers who arrested and charged Gracius with a felony for testing a bike in a Walmart aisle.
Link to facebook group: https://t.co/w1nDWVMTN7
— BLM (@wingwallah) July 21, 2020
Now tell me again how there is no disparity in how police treat people of color?!?!
If this was the exception rather than the norm, we wouldn’t have thousands of people continuing to march in the streets for social justice.
Unless we prevent Trump from winning a second term, we can expect scenes like this to continue and injustice will prevail.
You know what you need to do.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
Original reporting by Sky Palma at RawStory.
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