While the death of 46-year-old George Floyd was just one in a long history of incidents that see unarmed Black Americans suffer at the hands of police, his final moments were put on public enough display that they inspired a worldwide re-evaluation of police brutality and systemic racism.
And while it remains unclear as to what long-term impacts this apparent reawakening will bring about, it’s clear that many more Americans have had these issues on their minds in the last year than they have for decades.
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One powerful example of this heightened awareness could be seen in how one incident on a Missouri highway was resolved.
On July 1, TikTok user @sheniweird pulled over when she encountered a traffic stop taking place on an unspecified Missouri highway.
As her video captions put it, “When I see a young African American woman screaming for help and it’s 3 to 4 White Police with guns drawn on her, and she’s unarmed, you damn right I’m showing up and showing out until I find out what it’s all about.”
By that, she meant that she was going to stay on the scene and record the traffic stop until she was satisfied that this situation wouldn’t escalate.
Although she starts off pretty far away from the events unfolding here, she soon reverses her vehicle to get closer.
Before long, it becomes clear at at least three other drivers had the same inclination.
Because while officers hold the driver against their vehicle, other cars can be seen pulling over behind her.
As the video progresses, a woman gets out of her vehicle and also starts recording the traffic stop.
As @sheniweird gets out of her car and approaches the scene, she catches sight of another driver giving her a thumbs-up.
Once it becomes clear that the situation is being resolved peacefully, these other drivers begin to pull away.
In a follow-up video , @sheniweird said she remained on the scene after these drivers left to ensure the situation didn’t escalate any further.
In a follow-up video, @sheniweird said she remained on the scene after these drivers left to ensure the situation didn’t escalate any further.
This video also served as a response to a comment claiming that the drivers who were closer to the action did more than her, as she figured they might not have had the inclination to stop in the same way that she had if she hadn’t pulled over first.
As her captions stated, “When I pulled over, everyone pulled over. That’s what we need more of.”
The full video of the incident can be seen here, but it’s unclear who she was referencing when she mentioned a “home grown terrorist” who received gentle treatment from police.
Regardless, the video shows the way that some citizens are willing and able to look out for each other in a time of a greater awareness.
As her captions stated, “When I pulled over, everyone pulled over. That’s what we need more of.”
The full video of the incident can be seen here, but it’s unclear who she was referencing when she mentioned a “home grown terrorist” who received gentle treatment from police.
Regardless, the video shows the way that some citizens are willing and able to look out for each other in a time of a greater awareness.
