On November 14, 2019, my colleague, Jazmin Torres, and I shielded two young boys from aggressive police actions. While the boys were playing at a street corner during school dismissal and accidentally tipped over a trashcan, three NYPD officers leapt from their vehicle, hands poised near their holsters, and charged in our direction. Separating the boys, I noticed the officers dash across the street; Ms. Torres placed herself between them, the boys, and me. The officers bombarded her with intimidatory queries such as, "What are you?" "Who are you?" "Where do you come from?"—an implicit gauge of how much disrespect they could exert without consequence. Upon discerning her Mexican heritage, the officers crudely instructed her to keep silent as I was, attempting to overshadow her with their authority.
My own silence was born out of deep-seated fear for my life and the wellbeing of the boys, eleven and twelve years old. The nightmare scenario I envisioned was one where I was handcuffed before all my students. Wearing a hat and hooded sweater, I stood amidst and accountable for the safety of numerous middle and high schoolers. As the officers turned increasingly loud, it was imperative that I remain composed.
Jazmin's lighter complexion became an inadvertent shield, providing a distraction that allowed the boys to evade unnoticed. Thwarted from reaching our students, the officers forcibly infiltrated our school, where their conduct escalated in hostility and discriminatory remarks. Subsequently, our school placed the blame on us for the day's upheaval.
The next day, police officers patrolled all four corners of our campus, representing a second front of intimidation. A clear contradiction became evident as their behavior was at odds with the NYPD's professed values prominently displayed on their vehicles. Motivated by these disturbing incidents, I felt compelled to express the need for courtesy, professionalism, and respect in a piece I authored, ensuring that our experiences and voices would resonate and incite change.
