A video of an altercation between a black man and a Boston police officer sparked outraged in a community. Local civil rights activists in addition to members of the community are calling for more transparency and data in their police force, reports the Boston Globe.
The interaction didn't turn deadly for Keith Antonio, who was stopped by a police officer because he looked like someone named "Kevin."
In the video, you can hear the 25-year-old saying he was on his way to the barbershop. The officer continued questioning him about his job, name and even asked why he was walking around during the day.
“Why are you bothering me?’’ Antonio repeatedly asked in the video.
The incident was about two minutes long but was posted on Facebook.
Jamarhl Crawford, a local advocate, organized a press conference on Monday between the Boston police force and black community members.
During the press conference, Crawford said: "The [Boston Police Department] always disputed, dismissed, diminished our community’s evidence, experience, testimonies that say that this type of interaction exists.”
Racial profiling stops are often not documented, and there's no secured data to track them.
"We need more data, we need more transparency, we need more accountability, and we need to confront this narrative that the Boston Police Department does it right when there are so many examples of them not doing the right thing," Rahsaan D. Hall, director of the Racial Justice Program at the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, said.
“We are aware of the video and it is being reviewed to determine if any department rules were violated," Spokesman Lieutenant Detective Michael McCarthy said.
The Boston Police Department said that the officer was just simply doing his job.