Officer Pointed Rifle at Black Couple Headed to Home Near Arkansas Governor’s Mansion

Weeks of protests sparked by the murder of George Floyd at the hands of a white former police officer in Minneapolis who kneeled for almost eight minutes on the unarmed Black man’s neck are creating robust conversations about race and police brutality in America, and a Little Rock couple has a story that summarizes the emotional experiences propelling tens of thousands into the pandemic.

“I was driving the car, and all of a sudden I saw someone run into the street, and they stood in front of the car,” said Keya Cooley. “I stopped, and they pointed a gun. It was a white guy in military gear. He had on fatigues, a vest, a helmet, and a rifle with a laser or red light.”

Cooley and Andre Pendleton were headed to their home which is near the Arkansas Governor’s Mansion. As they set stunned and afraid to move, a black state trooper walked up to the passenger’s side of a Mercedes where Pendleton sat. The gun was still pointed at them.

“The Trooper asked where we were going,” Pendleton recalled. “I said, ‘Why does the guy have the gun drawn? We were just trying to get home”

According to Pendleton, the Trooper replied, “We were just trying to keep everybody safe” and waved them on their way. The rifle-toting officer never said a word.

When they arrived home, Cooley watched as others drove through the neighborhood without having a gun pulled on them. .And, many of them were not neighbors or homeowners in the area.

“In all my 47 years, I’ve never had a gun pulled on me. Let alone a rifle with a red light,” Cooley remarked. “It was quite an experience.”

Am I Next?

Demonstrations have reminded lawmakers and the law enforcement community repeatedly that the experience recounted by Cooley and Pendleton is shared by generations of Black Americans and proves America needs police reform. Little Rock aligned dozens of cities around the world where a cross section of residence has marched together and called for an end to racism and injustice. And, police in many cities have come under fire for their militarized response.

Hours before Pendleton and Cooley headed home last Tuesday, Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson had declared a state of emergency following days of largely organized and peaceful protest in Little Rock. The governor’s declaration said the protests had been “overtaken by destructive and violent individuals, creating conditions of distress for citizens and businesses of the state.” He directed the Arkansas State Police to lead a “unified command” of local law enforcement and authorized state police to assume control in jurisdictions it “deems necessary to protect civil rights and ensure public safety.”

His decision rerouted the crowd from the State Capital to the front of the Governor’s Mansion where Hutchinson lives. News reports estimated more than 75 protesters were arrested.

Cooled described the increased police presence in the area as “intimidating and harassing.”

She said, “I don’t think they’re here to really protect the protesters. It’s a form of intimidation.”

Amid growing demands to defund police, Cooley clarified her stance, citing the role of police in society.

“I think we need the police,” she explained. “But I think the police need to be held accountable for their actions. “

Pendleton said he reported the incident to the Arkansas State Police and was told they “are looking into it.”

He also wrote a letter he plans to send Governor Hutchinson and the head of the state police.

Pendleton, who is a small business owner, spent the past week mentally processing his close call. He and Cooley understand how a sudden move or miscommunication could have changed the outcome, escalating an ordinary drive home to a tragic cautionary tale.

They said, “It could very well have been us, and the story would have been told completely differently.”

Image Credits: Arkansas Online.