An arresting story

Yesterday, we saw something highly unusual. We were heading north bound on Wasatch Boulevard, approaching 33rd South, when two cop cars, light flashing, roared past us. A half mile ahead, they spun into u-turns, and pulled over a black truck. The cops in both vehicles hopped out and trained their guns on the vehicle. Like an idiot, I drove closer so I could see what was happening, and pulled back over to the side in a gap that had been left between two other vehicles.

The guy driving the black truck appeared to be cooperating, and the two cops soon had him in cuffs and down on the ground. Within seconds, he was back up again and driving down the road, shaking his head, and the cops had jumped back in their cars and sped off down the road with their lights flashing again. We had just witnessed some cops putting the wrong man in cuffs.

I wonder how he felt with those guns pointing at him.  I wonder if there was any apologies from the officers who had him on the ground with cuffs on. I wonder how many other people recognized exactly what happened there.

I guess they were looking for someone in a black truck. It could be easy to make a wrong move in such a situation. Thankfully the guy didn't resist arrest in any way, and he came to no harm--maybe other than his pride and his clothing.

Question: If it was a black truck they were looking for, would they have pulled over any black truck they passed? What made them think they had the right person? Truck color alone? If that's the case, something like that could happen to anyone. In that case, here's my advice: Don't struggle or complain when a cop's gun is pointed at you. Do what they say. Keep your cool.

I'm hoping they at least bought him a dinner at Texas Roadhouse or something.