Styles P Goes Viral After Footage Of Him Trying To Protect A Black Woman From Cops Sets The Internet Ablaze
Note: This article contains mention and video of a police interaction currently under investigation, which may be hard for some to view.
The over-policing of Black neighborhoods is an epidemic the nation has been struggling with since before I was a thought in my parent's minds.
giphy / Via media.giphy.com
The treatment of Black Americans by the government (make no mistake, the police are the government workers, functioning to enforce the laws that politicians put into place) has been documented, published, disseminated, and yelled from every rooftop from LA to NYC for centuries. And many of us have had enough.
Legendary rapper, Styles P, from LOX and Bad Boy fame, has obviously had MORE than enough. The 47-year-old veteran lyricist and businessman was recently filmed standing up for a Black woman being arrested by police in Yonkers, NY.
In the video, which was released on July 12 and has since gone viral, you can hear a woman (who is filming) yelling at police as she runs toward two officers who are forcing another woman to the ground during an arrest.
Soon, you can also hear Styles P's voice yelling at police, too. "He's a bitch," screams Styles P towards the police before crouching down to speak to the woman being arrested.
Styles P tries to calm the woman being arrested, saying "Sista relax" and "loosen up" before he directs his anger towards the police. Standing inches away, Styles begins to yell, "You a hoe dawg... yous a whole bitch!"
From Styles P and the woman filming, viewers learn that police slammed their "suspect" down to the ground before throwing the cuffs on her. Styles is enraged that the police would slam a woman to the ground in such a manner, especially two grown men.
After cursing at the police for a few second, Styles P is backed up by one of the officers. But he doesn't stop yelling, in fact, he doubles down.
"You scared, too!" says Styles to the cop. "You slammed a girl for no reason, she's on the floor! And you standing over there with your hand on your gun the whole time... You a bitch... You had your hand on your gun for a female he slammed on the floor! Whole bitch! You scared... you not from around here... and you scared of Black people!"
Later, as more police showed up at the scene, Styles can be seen speaking with the other cops about the situation.
You can watch the whole video below:
And here is another angle:
Since the footage has gone viral, the Yonkers Police have reportedly released this statement:
"The Yonkers Police Department is aware of a video that surfaced on Social Media regarding an interaction between Yonkers Police Officers and members of the community," it begins. "The incident itself revolved around the arrest of an individual who fled from Officers while she was being detained during an investigation into her reckless driving on an unregistered moped on a busy city sidewalk. Unregistered and uninsured moped operation on Yonkers streets and sidewalks is one of the most frequent complaints from community groups in recent months. After the individual attempted to flee, the Officers caught up to her and attempted to restrain her. The individual continued to refuse to comply, at which time an Officer utilized a standard take-down to bring her to the ground to be handcuffed. Subsequent to her arrest, a knife was recovered from an easily accessible front compartment on the moped."
The statement continues on to say:
"An internal investigation was immediately commenced at the scene, even before any videos of the incident were published to social media. The Yonkers Police Department routinely conducts full investigations into ALL uses of force by our Officers. This investigation includes the review of all video surveillance footage including Body-Worn Cameras, as well as interviews of all involved. The early stages of this investigation reveal that no strikes were used at any time during the incident and no force was used after handcuffs were applied. The investigation is ongoing. The attached video is the full and un-edited Body-Worn Camera footage from a primary Officer involved. The Yonkers Police Department is committed to transparency and serving the Yonkers community with service, integrity, and respect. More information regarding this interaction may be released as it becomes available."
However, after the statement was released, many Black people online expressed their outrage over the situation and support for Styles P.
Styles P was NOT playin with that cop. I pray that young lady is ok and in good spirits. I’m glad he stepped in. Glad everyone is alive. Salute and respect to em frfr.
@stylesp A True Definition Of A Real One On All Levels
Salute and much respect to Styles P. Most people would walk away from police who are abusing their authority. He stood tall to help protect a black woman from cops who obviously don't know how to deescalate a situation. Salute ✊🏾💜
Styles P is a Real Man for standing up for that sista against the police. This is the most "gangsta" thing you could ever do: be of service to another when injustice is in front of you 💪
The respect I have for Styles P has never wavered. Today, it went through the roof
