I was not armed, I was not aggressive, I complied – and an officer still pulled his gun on me

This is a night that stays on my mind. Prior to the civil unrest, it always came back from time to time. Now, the memory stays on my mind daily.

When I was 24-years-old, I worked as a news reporter in Fort Myers/Naples, Florida. At the time, I was the ONLY African-American male on-air talent within the four TV stations in that area. That alone brought challenges to the job on a daily basis knowing within my gut that I did not receive the same support and treatment as my white colleagues. It was not a level playing field.

On this particular night, I went out to enjoy the evening and later stopped at a gas station to grab a bite to eat. When I pulled out of the gas station, I was eating my sandwich and made an illegal turn. A police cruiser spotted the violation and proceeded to follow me for a few minutes before turning on their sirens and pulling me over.

The officer asked for my license and registration which I gave him. The officer then returned to my vehicle and asked me to step out. I complied. I was never aggressive with the officer and did not pose any threat to him.

The officer informed me he was going to conduct a sobriety test. I gave every attempt to follow the officer’s instructions. But during the test, he never gave me an opportunity to follow his instructions. When he gave me a command, the officer would immediately cut me off and yell at me.

The officer continued that trend a few times before grabbing me from behind and slamming on the car. As the officer began to handcuff me, I turned my right shoulder in his direction attempting to communicate with him.

That’s when his partner pulled out his gun pointed it directly at me.

I knew at that moment if I made another move, right or wrong, I would’ve been shot by the officer’s partner. I stopped moving and speaking, and I just looked into the dark air. I never felt more helpless in my life.

I spent the night in jail, and the case worked itself out. With everything I’ve shared, I know I’m the lucky one. However - I feel in my core to this day, if I had been white, the officer would not have used excessive force, and his partner would not have drawn his gun on me.

I WAS NOT ARMED. I WAS NOT AGGRESSIVE. I COMPLIED!!! With those three factors, I didn’t deserve this abuse and/or violation. 

As a black man who grew up in the City of Detroit, dealing with the racial disparities, there had been times where I asked myself if I’m fighting a losing battle. By the grace of GOD, I snapped out of that mindset. I turned that fear into force. I turned that anxiety into ambition. I learned that being a black man, I must stand tall and remain strong.

It doesn’t matter if there are people in the world who may unfairly misconstrue my ambition for “arrogance” – that’s possibly another racial disparity: someone who is white with the same goals could be viewed as confident and strong, but not the same case for a person of color.  

We as black people need that DRIVE to SURVIVE. We need that ambition in order to have a shot at achieving our dreams – because society is NOT a level playing field.

During this civil unrest, I think about all of the names and lives lost, and I also think about the names and lives lost that haven’t made their way to the media. I pray for their families, and I thank the Lord my mother did not become another black parent who had to mourn losing her son to police brutality.

My brothers and sister out there, I know you are angry. You’re angry for all of it. You have every right to feel this way. 

At the same time, we have to remember that this is a moment of truth and love. Only intelligence will create real change. Not confrontation.

Also, as a journalist who is continuing growth as a man, I’ve learned knowing the background is crucial in the fight. For those who are protesting for civil recourse, please learn of the local history of injustices that occurred on the same streets you're marching down - years before you were even born. That will put you on the path to becoming a real paragon in your community.

I’ll leave you with this thought. How can you protect your home if you don’t know everything that happened in your own backyard? 

Love and Blessings.

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Josh Landon is an anchor and reporter for FOX 2 News. For more of his stories and content, you cal follow him on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.