Baseball Player Delino DeShields Shares an Experience he had with Police

[InTheLight]

A personal story of mine. In 2012 some of my high school football teammates and I were at Georgia Tech in downtown Atlanta going to pick up a buddy of mine at his dorm. This was like around 10pm. In the car was myself and 4 other black males. One of my friends wanting me to teach him how to hit. (This is all while waiting for my friend to come out) So I have bats and balls and gloves in my car. Cadillac Escalade on 24s (pretty much a big sign that says I’m BLACK) and he starts taking some swings.

Anyways we are outside of my car just playing around I’m tossing a fake ball he’s taking swings acting like he’s hitting bombs off me whatever. So I noticed down the street in front of the steps leading up to my friends dorms there were a group of 3 white people. And after a couple of minutes of noticing this one person just takes off running across the street and into their car in the parking lot and drive off. I thought it was strange but was like whatever.

So 10 mins later my friend finally comes out and we all load up and we start driving. i don’t even know what we are going to do. 5 mins in I look out of side mirror and I see this cop trailing me. I don’t think much of it but I went to turn and he turned right behind me so my radar went up like he’s about to pull me over. I turn behind to my boys I’m like “do y’all have anything y’all aren’t supposed to have in my car because I think I’m about to get pulled over” sure enough the cops lights come on and I'm like, ahhh sh!t.

So a white officer gets out of the car flashlight bright searching the windows of my car as he approaches my side. I immediately put my hands on the steering wheel because I just know that’s what I’m supposed to do when I get pulled over. The officer doesn’t even ask for my license and registration he just makes everybody get out of my car except for me. He was with his partner that night so his partner instructed everybody to get out and sit on the curb. So as my friends are getting out I looked behind me and no lie there were a total of 5 COP CARS that had pulled up behind me.

I’m scared at this point because we haven’t done anything wrong. And this couldn’t possibly be because I didn’t use my blinker or something right? So when I’m solo in the car the officer tells me that they got a call that someone was being threatened by group of black males in a grey truck similar to what I have and he asked me to explain. And I’m like “well idk what you’re talking but it wasn’t us” and I asked “threatened with what exactly?” And he told me “something shaped like a sword” so in my head I’m thinking a sword? What tf is this man talking about. Then it clicks. I remember the visual of that person running across the street into their car and driving off sporadically and my boy wailing around one of my bats that I had in my car.

So I go on to tell him that I have bats in my car. And he asked why? I told him I played baseball for the Houston Astros and I keep them in my car for training. It wasn’t until THEN did he ask for my license and registration and he walks away from his car to a group of 4–5 other cops and I’m watching them kinda look surprised or in disbelief I don’t really know how to explain it. So the cop then begins to re-approach me and was like “MR DESHIELDS I loved watching you dad play ball. He was a hell of a player. Can I have your autograph?” And in my head I’m like wtf is actually going on? I just got pulled over because a white person said that I was threatening them with a sword like object and now this officer is asking me for my autograph. Anyways I give him my autograph and we drive away but if I was in anybody else shoes that night. That one phone call might've cost me my life. And that’s a very scary thought to have.

I’m sharing this story so people can have an inside viewpoint of what goes on in not just my life but majority of black America. This is REAL LIFE. This is MY LIFE. And I want to be as open and transparent with you all because I feel like that’s one of the ways that y’all can start to understand why my people are protesting against the social injustices and racism in the world. And that’s just a small part of the big picture.

https://tribevibe.mlblogs.com/delin...iences-with-racism-and-profiling-5188e673171f

 

[Reynolds]

A personal story of mine. In 2012 some of my high school football teammates and I were at Georgia Tech in downtown Atlanta going to pick up a buddy of mine at his dorm. This was like around 10pm. In the car was myself and 4 other black males. One of my friends wanting me to teach him how to hit. (This is all while waiting for my friend to come out) So I have bats and balls and gloves in my car. Cadillac Escalade on 24s (pretty much a big sign that says I’m BLACK) and he starts taking some swings.

Anyways we are outside of my car just playing around I’m tossing a fake ball he’s taking swings acting like he’s hitting bombs off me whatever. So I noticed down the street in front of the steps leading up to my friends dorms there were a group of 3 white people. And after a couple of minutes of noticing this one person just takes off running across the street and into their car in the parking lot and drive off. I thought it was strange but was like whatever.

So 10 mins later my friend finally comes out and we all load up and we start driving. i don’t even know what we are going to do. 5 mins in I look out of side mirror and I see this cop trailing me. I don’t think much of it but I went to turn and he turned right behind me so my radar went up like he’s about to pull me over. I turn behind to my boys I’m like “do y’all have anything y’all aren’t supposed to have in my car because I think I’m about to get pulled over” sure enough the cops lights come on and I'm like, ahhh sh!t.

So a white officer gets out of the car flashlight bright searching the windows of my car as he approaches my side. I immediately put my hands on the steering wheel because I just know that’s what I’m supposed to do when I get pulled over. The officer doesn’t even ask for my license and registration he just makes everybody get out of my car except for me. He was with his partner that night so his partner instructed everybody to get out and sit on the curb. So as my friends are getting out I looked behind me and no lie there were a total of 5 COP CARS that had pulled up behind me.

I’m scared at this point because we haven’t done anything wrong. And this couldn’t possibly be because I didn’t use my blinker or something right? So when I’m solo in the car the officer tells me that they got a call that someone was being threatened by group of black males in a grey truck similar to what I have and he asked me to explain. And I’m like “well idk what you’re talking but it wasn’t us” and I asked “threatened with what exactly?” And he told me “something shaped like a sword” so in my head I’m thinking a sword? What tf is this man talking about. Then it clicks. I remember the visual of that person running across the street into their car and driving off sporadically and my boy wailing around one of my bats that I had in my car.

So I go on to tell him that I have bats in my car. And he asked why? I told him I played baseball for the Houston Astros and I keep them in my car for training. It wasn’t until THEN did he ask for my license and registration and he walks away from his car to a group of 4–5 other cops and I’m watching them kinda look surprised or in disbelief I don’t really know how to explain it. So the cop then begins to re-approach me and was like “MR DESHIELDS I loved watching you dad play ball. He was a hell of a player. Can I have your autograph?” And in my head I’m like wtf is actually going on? I just got pulled over because a white person said that I was threatening them with a sword like object and now this officer is asking me for my autograph. Anyways I give him my autograph and we drive away but if I was in anybody else shoes that night. That one phone call might've cost me my life. And that’s a very scary thought to have.

I’m sharing this story so people can have an inside viewpoint of what goes on in not just my life but majority of black America. This is REAL LIFE. This is MY LIFE. And I want to be as open and transparent with you all because I feel like that’s one of the ways that y’all can start to understand why my people are protesting against the social injustices and racism in the world. And that’s just a small part of the big picture.

https://tribevibe.mlblogs.com/delin...iences-with-racism-and-profiling-5188e673171f

The police handled the situation properly. The occupants of the vehicle handled the situation properly. No one got hurt. No one got killed.

Problem is that a citizen called in a complaint based on what they thought they saw, not what they actually saw. Racial? Maybe. Maybe not.

You been around Ga Tech campus late at night? I am packing and it gives me the creeps. Its a very high crime area. Lots of robberies, rapes, and shootings.

 

[RighteousnessTemperance&]

...Anyways I give him my autograph and we drive away but if I was in anybody else shoes that night. That one phone call might've cost me my life. And that’s a very scary thought to have.

I’m sharing this story so people can have an inside viewpoint of what goes on in not just my life but majority of black America. This is REAL LIFE. This is MY LIFE. And I want to be as open and transparent with you all because I feel like that’s one of the ways that y’all can start to understand why my people are protesting against the social injustices and racism in the world. And that’s just a small part of the big picture.

https://tribevibe.mlblogs.com/delin...iences-with-racism-and-profiling-5188e673171f

LOL. Really? Give me a break. Where’s the hidden camera? What sensationalized nonsensical non-stories. All of that to say, “Absolutely nothing happened and we all lived happily ever after.” It reads like satire. I would soothingly serenade him, but haven’t a violin tiny enough to match my pathos to his angst.

 

[church mouse guy]

Someone called the police on me once in broad daylight because I was running for the bus with a big unopened umbrella. It turned out it was the wrong bus and I was standing there waiting for the right bus when the police came and left. There was a big chance of rain that day. It was at a retirement center where I was working an upcoming election.

 

[Reformed1689]

The police handled the situation properly. The occupants of the vehicle handled the situation properly. No one got hurt. No one got killed.

EXACTLY!

This idea of systemic police brutality against black men is demonstrably, statistically, factually, untrue. It doesn't exist. BLM would have you believe black men are getting gunned down left and right. They are not.

 

[canadyjd]

So, he assumes the white guy down the street called the police because they were playing pretend baseball with real baseball bats on the street at 10 pm?

Because?

peace to you

 

[InTheLight]

So you people have no problem with 5 police cars pulling over a vehicle, demanding the occupants exit the vehicle, based solely on someone's phone call to 911 with some vague reference to a group of black males perhaps threatening someone with possibly a sword? The police didn't see a thing, saw no traffic infractions, just pulled over a vehicle that is stereotypically associated with blacks, based on hearsay. That's OK with you?

 

[RighteousnessTemperance&]

So, he assumes the white guy down the street called the police because they were playing pretend baseball with real baseball bats on the street at 10 pm? Because?

I was waiting for the line, “Well, officer, ‘see what had happened was,’ I was teaching one of my friends to bat by tossing him fake baseballs which he pretended to hit with a real bat.”

Sounds like a winning lead to a very likely story.

And then there are his “high school football teammates.” ‘So, which high school football team?’ "The Houston Astros." ‘Uh huh, I see.’

 

[RighteousnessTemperance&]

So you people have no problem with 5 police cars pulling over a vehicle, demanding the occupants exit the vehicle, based solely on someone's phone call to 911 with some vague reference to a group of black males perhaps threatening someone with possibly a sword? The police didn't see a thing, saw no traffic infractions, just pulled over a vehicle that is stereotypically associated with blacks, based on hearsay. That's OK with you?

Brother, are you saying you believe his pitifully told racist version of the story? How do we know the details of what was actually reported? Certainly not from DeShields.

But one does have to appreciate his racist comment, “…my car. Cadillac Escalade on 24s (pretty much a big sign that says I’m BLACK)….” And here I thought being black had more to do with certain physical traits.

 

[RighteousnessTemperance&]

So you people have no problem with 5 police cars pulling over a vehicle, demanding the occupants exit the vehicle, based solely on someone's phone call to 911 with some vague reference to a group of black males perhaps threatening someone with possibly a sword? The police didn't see a thing, saw no traffic infractions, just pulled over a vehicle that is stereotypically associated with blacks, based on hearsay. That's OK with you?

If I had to guess, their pretend practice included pointing in the direction the pretend ball would go after being hit. Now, if that pointing just happened to be in the direction of an actual person, it could very well be interpreted as menacing. It was night, so lighting is a factor. People take things the wrong way—it happens a lot, including here on this board. It isn’t a racial thing, it’s a human thing.

 

[RighteousnessTemperance&]

One of the most problematic aspects of being black is that one may imagine he knows what it’s like to be white. “This wouldn’t have happened to me, if I were white.” You know this because…? That’s right, you don’t know, because you are in fact wrong.

Statistically, many crimes are committed by black perps. It is not improbable that a black may be initially considered a suspect, if the perp was black; and certainly more probable than a white being considered a suspect in the case. In such cases, the whine, “This wouldn’t have happened to me if I were white,” is correct, but that is just an unavoidable fact of life.

 

[Reformed1689]

So you people have no problem with 5 police cars pulling over a vehicle, demanding the occupants exit the vehicle, based solely on someone's phone call to 911 with some vague reference to a group of black males perhaps threatening someone with possibly a sword? The police didn't see a thing, saw no traffic infractions, just pulled over a vehicle that is stereotypically associated with blacks, based on hearsay. That's OK with you?

It was not hearsay. It was a police complaint. And if someone is making a complaint about being threatened by a weapon then yes, the situation was warranted. Again, handled properly on both sides and nobody was hurt.

But for the record, he never played for the Astros. He was in their farm system.

 

[InTheLight]

It was not hearsay. It was a police complaint.

Police did not see the activity. Police did not see any traffic violations. Police did not say, "we got a call from someone that had your license plate." Yet they pulled him over. This is the definition of hearsay.

And if someone is making a complaint about being threatened by a weapon then yes, the situation was warranted. Again, handled properly on both sides and nobody was hurt.

"Someone" was not making a complaint about being threatened by a weapon. Someone complained that it looked like someone else was being threatened by something that looked like a sword.

Now, supposing for the sake of argument that DeShields actually HAD A SWORD in the trunk of his Escalade. Now what? What should the cops do now? Is it illegal to have a sword?

But for the record, he never played for the Astros. He was in their farm system.

Yes, that is "playing" for the Astros (organization.) It is not incorrect to say it.

 

[InTheLight]

One of the most problematic aspects of being black is that one may imagine he knows what it’s like to be white. “This wouldn’t have happened to me, if I were white.” You know this because…? That’s right, you don’t know, because you are in fact wrong.

The irony is strong with this one...

 

[RighteousnessTemperance&]

The irony is strong with this one...

Exactly. It's extremely ironic to think you know what it would be like to be in someone else's shoes instead of your own without actually being in them instead. Yet that isn’t merely the assumption, but the actual claim in the stories.

 

[RighteousnessTemperance&]

Police did not see the activity. Police did not see any traffic violations. Police did not say, "we got a call from someone that had your license plate." Yet they pulled him over. This is the definition of hearsay. "Someone" was not making a complaint about being threatened by a weapon. Someone complained that it looked like someone else was being threatened by something that looked like a sword.
Now, supposing for the sake of argument that DeShields actually HAD A SWORD in the trunk of his Escalade. Now what? What should the cops do now? Is it illegal to have a sword? Yes, that is "playing" for the Astros (organization.) It is not incorrect to say it.

OK, let's see the police report. DeShields is not credible on this. He did not make the complaint. His story is mere hearsay on this. And nothing happened.

 

[InTheLight]

Exactly. It's extremely ironic to think you know what it would be like to be in someone else's shoes instead of your own without actually being in them instead. Yet that isn’t merely the assumption, but the actual claim in the stories.

R-i-g-h-t... So you know what it's like to be a black man getting pulled over by the cops for no reason. You know what it's like to be in his shoes. That's the irony right there. Not only that but you are making assumptions for the person that called in the complaint.

OK, let's see the police report. DeShields is not credible on this. He did not make the complaint. His story is mere hearsay on this. And nothing happened.

Yes, let's see the police report. Let's see the name of the person that called in and read the complaint. Please.

DeShields is in effect, testifying that this happened to him. He has several witnesses. The cops presumably have his autograph.

 

[RighteousnessTemperance&]

R-i-g-h-t... So you know what it's like to be a black man getting pulled over by the cops for no reason. You know what it's like to be in his shoes. That's the irony right there.

Where did I say I know what it’s like to be black? I’m challenging the notion that blacks who think they know what it would be like to be white actually do know.

Not only that but you are making assumptions for the person that called in the complaint.

Where am I making assumptions, except where I said, "If I had to guess"? I'm saying that DeShields does not know the whole story, which is basically what he admits. He's making all manner of assumptions, but other possibilities abound.

And nothing happened.

 

[Calminian]

So you people have no problem with 5 police cars pulling over a vehicle, demanding the occupants exit the vehicle, based solely on someone's phone call to 911 with some vague reference to a group of black males perhaps threatening someone with possibly a sword? The police didn't see a thing, saw no traffic infractions, just pulled over a vehicle that is stereotypically associated with blacks, based on hearsay. That's OK with you?

Just put the shoe on the other foot. What if mostly black officers pulled over a vehicle of whites based on a 911 call? Would that be offensive to you?

BTW, I have a personal story like this. I was pulled over in my early 20s by a cop that was extremely rude and irritable. He didn't ask me nicely, but snapped get out of the car, when he came to my window. I remember I was so nervous I was shaking.

After a few minutes, he came to me and basically said, never mind. I fit the description of someone who they were looking for, but wasn't him. Got back in my car, shrugged, and left. Didn't give it much more thought. I fit a description. So what?

 

[InTheLight]

Just put the shoe on the other foot. What if mostly black officers pulled over a vehicle of whites based on a 911 call? Would that be offensive to you?

Of course.