Cop Who Isn’t Bastard Just Waiting For Right Moment To Speak Up
Protests across the country are continuing as strong as ever in opposition to centuries of abuse and violence by police towards Black and brown communities. A core tenet of the protests concerns defunding the police, though there is a debate as to whether it is even possible to reform the infrastructure of America’s law enforcement. Many protesters make their feelings on the matter abundantly clear through the chant, “A.C.A.B., All Cops Are Bastards.” Portland Police Officer Sebastian McInnis, a self-proclaimed “cop who isn’t a bastard”, shared his thoughts with The Scallion.
“Upholding the high standard of law enforcement is my top priority. When I see a little kid, I give them a badge sticker. When I get a report about a suspicious person walking around a neighborhood, I make sure to harass both Black and white pedestrians equally because I take pride in not seeing color. When we are instructed to fire CS gas into a public park filled with peaceful protesters, medics and media members, I make sure to fire at the ground instead of at people’s heads. When other officers beat the living crap out of citizens, I thoughtfully refrain from partaking and instead stand back at a respectful distance.“
When asked what he does to actively prevent and report racist and abusive practices by his fellow officers, McInnis presented several options. “I can certainly send my report up the chain of command at my precinct so that all of my fellow cops can know that I was the one who snitched on them. I can also contact my local police union that is hellbent on protecting officers from any and all discipline. Or I can contact Portland’s citizens review board that just had three members resign because the board has no real power. Dealers’ choice. I’ll speak out eventually – I’m just waiting for the right moment.“