Yesterday afternoon I left on my lunch break and headed up to the Food Lion grocery store on the next corner. When I pulled in the parking lot there were seven or eight cop cars and the store was closed. At the time I was curious, but unconcerned. Then today I learned about this:
When I went to my usual friday afternoon lunch spot, Johnny Burrito, I got the rest of the story.
Side Note: I've been eating at JB's every friday for a while now so I've become acquainted with the staff there and we always make casual conversation/small talk while I eat. I say this because, while I don't really know these people, I feel like I've come to know them well enough to believe them when the filled me in on this story.
The short version is that this kid would never have gone after a cop. He had taken the sandwiches home with out paying because he was forgetful, not because he maliciously wanted to steal $3 worth of product from his employer. And why was the cop so trigger happy with his taser?
When I got back from lunch, my coworkers could see that something was bothering me and I told them what I had heard. I'm ashamed to say that reactions varied from "oh goodness, that's horrible" to "was he white or black? he probably had a gun." It makes me sick to my stomach to know that people I have previously gotten on well with could react like that. I didn't even have it in me at that point to be mad at them. I just turned and walked away.
Like I said, I'm enjoying my new Southern home, but I know I won't be able to just sit by and watch things like this happen. Sorry to post such a downer. It just doesn't seem right to sit here quietly.
