Black Man Not Just Stopped For “Walking With Hands In His Pockets”

By now, you’ve probably seen video of a young Black man in Michigan being stopped for walking with his hands in his pocket. Brandon McKean, 25, posted the clip, but it appears only a portion of the conversation he had with the officer was posted.

Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard released a more extensive version of what happened online and it clearly shows the law enforcement official explaining to McKean why he was stopped and it wasn’t just because he had his hands in his pockets. The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office also posted this statement on Facebook:

There has been a great deal of discussion on the internet about a deputy talking to “a man with his hands in his pockets.” Unfortunately, this issue demonstrates one of the disadvantages of social media. Often times, individuals share things without knowing the facts and in some cases promote a specific agenda unrelated to the reality of the situation. Shocking that the internet does not tell the full picture or people use this for an agenda-right? So, here is the whole story.

The video that was posted was an edited version of the whole situation and cut out the Deputy fully explaining as to why 911 was called on him, and ended with this person agreeing that the police should respond. The 911 call received by the Oakland County Dispatch Center originated from a nearby business that had been a victim , as well as its employees, of seven robberies. The caller and his employees were concerned about the individual who had walked by the front window of the business five or six times, while looking inside with his hands in his pockets. Fearing for their safety, the business dialed 911 and the Deputy responded.

In the unedited version of the event, the individual stated that if he had called the police on a suspicious person, he would expect the police to respond, check the area, and talk to the suspicious person being called about. The Deputy did not detain or pat down the individual and considering the nature of the call responded in a very restrained and professional manner.

You can watch a full video of the incident below.