A Dark Truth by Jeff Ross

Author:Jeff Ross
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781459813298
Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
Published: 2016-09-01T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

Dashawn’s father was suddenly standing beside us, pocketing his cell.

“They can’t do this to him,” I said. The sickening sensation I had in my stomach had changed to an anger I didn’t even see coming.

“Oh yes they can,” Dr. Reed said. “And they proved it. I went straight to the chief of police. He already had the officer’s story, and that was all he needed. The official story is that the officers responded to a call of intruders on private property. They discovered three youths skateboarding.” He looked me in the eye. I felt myself sink a little. We’d run. It wouldn’t have happened if we hadn’t run.

“At this time they witnessed Dashawn attempting to slide down a handrail. Do you notice my tone, Riley? Tone is very important in these reports. One must make certain to sound official so people won’t be swayed by other ideas.”

“Okay,” I said.

“The report goes on to state that ‘a black youth’ slipped, fell, crashed down half a dozen stairs, smashed into a ledge and then twisted his arm violently. His injuries were the direct result of a skateboarding accident. The kind-hearted police officers helped the black youth to their cruiser, and instead of bringing him to the police station, they delivered him to the hospital. There were no signs of destruction to any of the property in question, and therefore the black youth would not be charged for trespassing or destruction of property. The chief of police informed me that the police officers in question should be thanked for their assistance when they could have been much less kind.”

“That’s what they told you?”

Dr. Reed bent down slightly. “That’s what happened, Riley. That’s the truth because it came from the mouths of two white cops rather than one black kid. Oh, the black kid has a different story. That he didn’t fall. He didn’t crash. But instead that these officers of the law beat him with their batons, kicked him with their boots, jumped on his back. But that’s not the truth. The truth is what the white cops say it is.”

“But it isn’t,” I said. I’d never felt uncomfortable in or around Dashawn’s house. Not once in all the years we’d hung out. But right then I felt as though I’d rather be anywhere else.

“I know it isn’t, you know it isn’t, Dashawn and his mother know it isn’t, and every black man and woman who hears this story will know it isn’t. But that doesn’t matter because the truth is in that report those officers submitted.”

I didn’t know what to say. Dashawn sat on the porch. I wanted to leave. It was awful. Dashawn couldn’t look at me. His father was growing more and more angry. I took a step away. Dr. Reed grabbed my arm and held it lightly.

“They put their hands on my son, Riley. They beat him because they knew they could get away with it. They beat him to put him in his place. They beat him to put fear in his heart.

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