An intense standoff between the police and a reportedly unarmed Black man in Seattle, Washington, led to a man fearing for his life.
A crowd gathered on his behalf, and police eventually backed off as a result of the bystander involvement.
The Feb. 1 incident occurred around 7 p.m. at 12th Avenue and Mercer Street.
According to witnesses, the man had been standing on the corner listening to his music on a Bluetooth speaker when the police arrived. The video shows a Black man wearing a yellow hoodie and black jacket screaming, “I don’t have anything on me” as police officers shouted commands.
A white bystander wearing a green sweater is seen filming the incident with her cellphone from across the street as she also yells at the police that the man was unarmed and had not done anything wrong.
The man is increasingly frightened by the commands as police ask him to walk forward. However the blinding police lights make it difficult. “I can’t even see anything,” he says. A bystander confirms she’s unable to see anything too.
At one point a woman walked over to the man to seemingly help protect him by standing between him and the police. The man is heard saying, “I’m just gonna get on the ground. I’m not even walking.” He also repeatedly said he did not have a gun. Another white bystander walking a dog also tried to intervene, seemingly to protect the man.
One person on the video is heard screaming to the police, “No one has a gun except for you!” Another bystander filming the incident captured one police officer pointing a rifle at the man in the yellow hoodie.
“We’re much more scared of the f— police in this situation than this guy,” screamed one bystander. “Can you guys f— calm down? Calm the f— down.”
Several cars are also seen driving by before two of the officers finally decide to stand down.
“We’re going to go ahead and disengage,” said one officer. “Twenty bystanders with four surrounding the suspect,” he said after he confirmed there were no victims or shell casings in the area. The officer pointing his rifle at the man put his weapon back into his cruiser and backed away.
