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The Disproportionate Overrepresentation of Minority Youth in ...

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196<br />

he always yells at the black kids and not the white kids. And my mom<br />

said, ‘wait .a m<strong>in</strong>ute, it takes two to fight....’<br />

A:...I ran away from home. <strong>The</strong> cops were chas<strong>in</strong>g me for some reason.<br />

<strong>The</strong>y thought I did someth<strong>in</strong>g, but I ran, not know<strong>in</strong>g why they were<br />

look<strong>in</strong>g for me... I was k<strong>in</strong>d <strong>of</strong> drunk... <strong>The</strong>y chased me all over. I ran to a<br />

car <strong>in</strong> the alley. He looked and saw me and pulled a gun on me. <strong>The</strong>n he<br />

put the gun <strong>in</strong> my face and told me to get up. <strong>The</strong> he grabbed me from the<br />

car.<br />

Q: Did you try to get away from him<br />

A: No, I was scared. I was like, ‘Alright. Alright.’ <strong>The</strong>n he started<br />

punch<strong>in</strong>g me <strong>in</strong> the back a bunch <strong>of</strong> times. <strong>The</strong>n he handcuffed one hand<br />

and started punch<strong>in</strong>g me on this side. <strong>The</strong>n he handcuffed this hand and<br />

started punch<strong>in</strong>g me on this side. My hands were <strong>in</strong> the handcuffs and he<br />

grabbed them and pulled my arms up my back, so I jumped up on top <strong>of</strong><br />

the car and he started hitt<strong>in</strong>g me. I had witnesses stand<strong>in</strong>g there and they<br />

were like, ; Leave him alone. Stop hitt<strong>in</strong>g him. He’s not fight<strong>in</strong>g you.’ He<br />

was like, ‘You shut up or you’re go<strong>in</strong>g to jail.’ He threw me <strong>in</strong> the cop car<br />

and my foot was hang<strong>in</strong>g out the door. I said, ‘Hey man, watch my foot.’<br />

He said, ‘What foot’ and he slammed the door right on my foot. When I<br />

got to JD, my ankle had a big old scar and everyth<strong>in</strong>g. I told my mom<br />

about it and she was mad. She tried to press charges and stuff, but they<br />

said I was fight<strong>in</strong>g them back. <strong>The</strong>re was noth<strong>in</strong>g I could do, cuz they’re<br />

gonna believe the police <strong>of</strong>ficer over me anyway.<br />

Yeah. But they wouldn’t listen to what we had to say.<br />

K<strong>in</strong>d <strong>of</strong>.<br />

Yeah.<br />

Verbal abuse is cited as the ma<strong>in</strong> justification for the perceived unfair treatment <strong>of</strong><br />

white youth. This is <strong>in</strong> contrast to the justification perceived by black youth. Black youth<br />

<strong>in</strong>dicate that their <strong>in</strong>teraction with the police is physical <strong>in</strong> nature.<br />

All <strong>of</strong> the Native American and all but one Hispanic youth feel they are treated<br />

fairly by the police. It is important to remember that these youth are respond<strong>in</strong>g to their<br />

perceptions <strong>of</strong> fairness based on their own <strong>in</strong>dividual treatment by the police and not to<br />

the fairness <strong>of</strong> treatment they feel they receive as a race. Quotes

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