I recently visited Louisville and witnessed an episode that
involved four local police officers. While eating a breakfast biscuit at
MacDonald’s on Taylorsville Road, I noticed a very large African American man
sleeping at a table in the corner. He looked like some of the homeless people I
have met in my neighborhood. There were several other people eating near him
but he was not creating a problem.
Four local policemen entered the MacDonald’s and surrounded
the sleeping customer. They were well armed and equipped with gear that looked
intimidating to me. One of the policemen nudged the customer and said firmly,
“MacDonald’s called us and said you have to leave.” The policeman told the man to
stand up but the man refused to do so. He said it was cold outside and that he
had no place to go. Most of the other customers seemed to sense something bad
was about to happen, and they quickly left the area.
The lead policeman who woke the man talked with him for about
fifteen minutes while the other officers just stood by quietly. The man’s
speech was incoherent, and he sounded like he might have a mental illness. The
policemen never moved nor spoke in a threatening manner. They just continued to
surround him. Eventually the policemen were able to gently escort the man out
the door. I followed them out and heard the policeman still talking with the
man on the sidewalk. The policeman was asking the man where he was going next. The policeman
offered to take him to a hospital if he could describe a specific illness or
injury, but he could not.
I needed to move on. Before I left I tapped one of the officers on the shoulder and said, “I
wish I had videotaped what you guys just did and then shared it on the internet.
You handled that the way policemen should. Thank you for your service.”
