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Simpson, LaToya Oral History Interview
U: Today is August 19, 2015 and you are… A: Latoya Simpson. U: Tell us your story Latoya. A: I was recently at CSU, me and my boyfriend. I would say we experienced racial profiling simply because we were in there doing nothing but watching TV and on our phones. U: Where were you again? A: Cleveland State University. Right across the street. Officers came in. I don’t know if they were called or not. They claimed that they got a call that we were sleeping outside, which was not true. And you know, they saw that we weren’t. They said well do you guys have any ID’s, any you know personal…
Unnamed Oral History Interview
Interviewer: So, tell me about your experience with police violence here in Cleveland. Interviewee: They constantly come around town..but they don’t pick up the regular people that’s doing stuff. They only pick up the people..like regular people...I don’t get it….it’s like they targeting..you feel what I’m saying...and I don’t like that stuff so that’s why I’m trying to speak out. I just want them to stop targeting people. It seems like they picking on special people instead of getting at the people that’s really doing crimes out here...you know what I’m saying...because they was just shooting…
Hudson, Andre Oral History Interview
IV: All right. Go ahead. AH: Yes. All right. What I'm saying with this whole police shooting, with police brutality, that doesn't give you, OK, I got a bad, I'm a person of the law, that doesn't give you the right to, like, hmm, I'm in the mood, I'm going to wake up and just shoot him just because I can, because I got a gun, I have a gun, and I'm paid to shoot. Yes, I'm supposed to be a person, a citizen in society and to protect the law, but what laws are they protecting? If you supposed to be an officer, to protect the law, or protect the citizens, not shoot it. Just because, like, I…
Riley, LaShawnna Oral History Interview
My fiancé goes to the Cudell Recreation Center every day except on Wednesdays and it was just, you know, it was just trouble… the way they could do a young child. This mother daughter, she was sending her child to play at the recreation center and I didn’t believe that because I know for a fact that they have a security guard there and I didn’t understand how that could have happened in a place that was already secured… But as far as my personal experiences with the umm [police]… I had a couple of run-ins with my fiancé, and they have come out. They try to come out and talk to you, you know,…
Veronica Oral History Interview
Interviewer: Geraci, Noah Interviewee: Veronica NG: What has your experience been with police violence? V: In 2012, on November 29, my cousin was the victim of the police. She was. Her car. Her and her boyfriend’s car was shot up 137 times. The police that jumped on the hood of the car shot through the window. They did his trial in May and they released him. I think that was very wrong. And, Someone else: That was your people’s car? V: Yeah, that was my cousin. And I don’t feel that because when the police talk to me and see me and stuff, I don’t really be bothered with them or they…
Unnamed Oral History Interview
Interviewer: Today is August 19th, 2015 and this is anonymous – is that correct? Interviewee: Yes Interviewer: OK if you can just tell me the one experience you can think of… Interviewee: One experience is a little over a month ago I just came from the store, and I was walking from 23rd… I did have a beer and I just sat down and opened it and took a sip out of it. A vice car was riding past…and they came to me like “Oh ok, bring your ID” and I was like “ok whatever”, and they said, “You can go ahead and drink it but we’re still going to write you up for this ticket” but I just threw it away.…
Unnamed Oral History Interview
Interviewer: OK. So today is August 19, 2015. And do you want your name recorded or not? Interviewee: No. And it’s just protocol and attitude adjustment and it’s just an adult’s job…adults do what they have to do especially when we talking about authorities and figure of speaking…and law making…its part of protocol. And it just needs some attitude adjustment around it. Other than that, grown-ups can do what grown-ups can do. They got weapons…the citizens and civilians don’t. So they more in a position to take a person’s life before…preventive killing… Interviewer: Have you had that…
Unnamed Oral History Interview
Transcript: Interviewee: Drake, Jarrett (JD) Interviewer: Unnamed (B) B: I watched this movie last night, NWA, standing for Niggers With Attitude. And they came out with this song, “Eff the police,” and he was speaking the truth, speaking the truth about brutality, and how they treat African American men no matter you were a rapper or if you had a job, they still came to you as if they was a thug out here on the street – nothing going on with your life. I respect that what these gentlemen are out here doing because you cannot judge me by my color, you cannot judge me they way I walk out here…
Holman, James Oral History Interview
MT: We are recording. It's August 19, 2015. Do you want to give your name? JH: Yes, my name is James Holman. Yes, the police has been tolerating people's behavior. Should've been throwing people out of the bus and stuff. All of that. Man, cussing peoples out and all types of stuff. All downtown and all in Public Square. And I've been trying to do a good job and trying to protect the public. And they're not doing nothing about it. And I want something done about it. MT: So has this happened to you on the bus? JH: Yes, with the bus drivers. It's on camera and stuff. MT: Okay. And it's been…
Gardner, Trella Oral History Interview
TRELLA: Watch the news and I’ve seen and heard a lot. And I’ve known of other people that have had personal encounters with the police, and not so good. One instance was a friend of mine and there was an accident, and it involved one of the Cleveland policeman. And he was intoxicated, you know. JARRETT: The policeman was? TRELLA: Yeah, he was intoxicated. And so you know, here my girlfriend was you know, she was involved in this accident, she’s all shook up and of course they call the police. Well when the other police came up and saw, you know, their buddy, a fellow policeman, obviously…
Unnamed Oral History Interview
Interviewee: [Fades into interview] There’s a lot of violence going on. Now, I do have an opinion. I don’t think that whites should be policing our neighborhoods. Who better to handle our people than our own people? Interviewer: That’s true. Interviewee: You see what I’m saying? People send the brothers on the westside where there ain’t nothing going on. And send the white boys over here where [indistinct, wind blowing], but if we got some brothers over here that’s gonna look out for us, you know, even cut us slack a time or two. Everybody don’t need to go to jail for what’s going on, man. You…
Unnamed Oral History Interview
Interviewee: [Indistinct. Fades into interview] ...Watching the news and all that stuff and I’m [indistinct]. You know I’ve been watching the news and I ain’t really comfortable with it. You know how, you know, I mean, to me, honestly I’ve been around a long time so my thing is all these [indistinct] police as a legal gang. Honestly. I mean, I don’t know nobody else’s pay, but that’s my view: a legal gang. ‘cause they get away with a lot of stuff and they’ve been doing it for years. And ain’t nobody really gettin’ on nobody until, you know, really got it on the news and everybody got to be…
Unnamed Oral History Interview
I’ll tell it straight right from me because I work a lot so I just tell it straight right from me. Do you know anyone personally, or have heard of, who have had experiences where they’ve had experience with the police? Yeah, all the people that have the experience with them, people I know, they done left Cleveland. They say they can’t deal with them no more so they left Cleveland. Or their experiences. I mean, they got pulled over. I assume they got pulled over, handcuffed, and slammed to the ground just for a traffic ticket. You know, end up at the hospital for…
Unnamed Oral History Interview
You don’t have to share your name if you don’t want, or if you want to, that’s fine. You could just say… can you just say that we’re okay to record you? Sure. Of course. Okay. Yeah, well, what has your experience been? Well I haven’t had a bad experience… What’s your opinion? I feel, um, I feel like they can do better. I feel like, you know, we as people can do better as well, but they definitely need to do much better. It starts, I mean, it starts with them, you know, they’re supposed to protect us and they gotta do a better job of that. What do…
Unnamed Oral History Interview
I’m sorry, do you mind if… okay. Okay. These little boys, they was about, uh, this tall, they was about thirteen, fourteen, and fifteen. And two of them had guns. They had just robbed a man on 131st. So they came in front of my house. Little bitch boy next door, he’s a little bitch boy, and they come over to hang out at his house, make him go get Kool-Aid, and he’s a little bitch. So they take his, they took his phone, and his mother – he’s his mother’s prince. She kisses his ass. She think he pisses ginger ale. So – I’m telling you what it is. Don’t get… you shouldn’t have picked the right…
Unnamed Oral History Interview
Interviewee: Unnamed (A) Interviewers: Unnamed (B) B: You can either say your name or you don’t have to say your name. You don’t have to say your name if you don’t want to, but if you could just go on record saying you don’t mind us recording you, that’d be great. A: I’ve seen the police change in my day. But they’ve been kinda rowdy. But that’s the [time?] you know. How can you control people unless you have some authority? So they have to take some kind of authoritative position besides just their uniforms. So, that’s what they do. And they favor the ones who put them in control, which is…