That's exactly what I do whenever I am stopped by an American cop. I put my hands on the steering wheel. I make sure they can see them and that they are empty.
I think I would have been even more cautious than Castile about having a gun, although what he did was absolutely reasonable.
If I had a gun, I would probably not put it in my pocket. I wouldn't remove my hands from the steering wheel until the cop knew where the gun was and knew I wasn't reaching for it. I always get my wallet out before the cop arrives by my window.
This is because I know how the fear of guns affects their standard operating procedures and culture. These tell them to prioritise their own safety, and to shoot first and worry about the consequences later. Their instincts tell them to fear a young black man.
It's a toxic situation. And it is made far, far worse by the fear of guns.
British black people may have some complaints about their treatment by police. But they don't have to worry they will be shot. And nor do the police. Why? Not because folks are different. It's because so few people have guns. Take guns out of the equation and the tension disappears.
I see black people as victims but I see the system - and particularly the NRA - as the cause of the problem. In most cases, individual cops are caught between a rock and a hard place.
| 