Former Judge Teaches Class In Oakland On 'How Not To Get Shot' By The Police
OAKLAND (CBS SF) -- African-Americans often talk about the tacit or unspoken survival rules they have always followed when dealing with white police. Fathers passing those rules along to their sons sometimes called it, "The Talk." The rules kept blacks alive during the era of Jim Crow and the reign of white supremacist groups like the Ku Klux Klan.
Times have changed, an African-American president is in the White House, but the number of blacks getting killed by white police officers is disturbing. According to recent accounts of justifiable homicide reported to the FBI, nearly two times a week in the United States, a white police officer killed a black person during a seven-year period ending in 2012. One in 5 of the victims was under the age of 18.
Administrative law judge, Demetrius Shelton has spent the past four years teaching young kids how to avoid disaster when dealing with police today.
Basically, Shelton teaches them how not to get shot.
"All too often we're hearing of these situations. The Michael Brown incident, the Trayvon Martin situation," said Shelton. "It can be a matter of life and death."
Shelton hosted a recent workshop at Castlemont High School, in Oakland. He says behavior that used to get kids sent to the principal's office, now gets them thrown in jail.
"We want, above all, for the young people to survive the interaction. If anything was done wrong, we'll take care of it later," he explained.
Part of that means learning your basic legal rights. For example, police can ask for identification, but the students have the right to record the traffic stop on their phone.
"It's important to know your rights and responsibilities, and it's also important to use sound judgment," said Shelton.
But judgment isn't as clearly defined as the letter of the law. Comments can be misinterpreted and body language can be misunderstood.
Shelton warns kids not to do anything that can be perceived as threatening.
"There's a safety concern, all around, on both sides," Shelton tells the kids.
Shelton believes ultimately, there is the matter of trust, something that has been lost in many communities. We witnessed the results of that loss in Ferguson.
"I think there is a lack of trust in the legal system and I think that frustration is what has resulted in the protests that are taking place across the country."
One of Shelton's students listed the things he would do in the event of a confrontation with an officer.
"Remain respectful, remain steady, keep my head on straight."