Homeowner Brandishes Gun At Approaching Black Man, Sparking Racism Allegations: ‘No One Is Stereotyping’
Dramatic video has emerged of a white homeowner displaying a gun as a black man approached his property to inquire why the other man was photographing him.
Demetrius Taylor, of St. Paul, Minnesota, alleges that he was sitting in his car with his nephew when the homeowner began photographing the pair. Taylor decided to confront the unnamed man and filmed the interaction as he approached. Drawing close to the homeowner, Demetrius realized that he had a gun in his hand.
“You just pulled a gun on me!” Demetrius can be heard saying in the footage. “For no reason at all… that’s crazy, that’s crazy.”
During the argument that ensued, a woman began yelling from across the street, asking the homeowner if he would like her to call 911. The homeowner acted unfazed, explaining his actions as Demetrius accused him of stereotyping.
“We have a lot of drug dealing going on… no one is stereotyping.”
Black man records white homeowner pulling a GUN on him ‘because he presumed he was a drug… http://t.co/oUUE7uMrPY pic.twitter.com/RQdwCGv8Sr
— Alexandra (@Chidolue) February 12, 2015
“You racially profiled me,” Demetrius asserted. “You saw two black guys having a conversation in the car and you started taking pictures. When you see me walking down this street, because I’m black, you got nervous and you pulled out your gun.”
Both men ended up calling 911, and police arrived on the scene to diffuse the confrontation. Based on the information available at the time, officers believed no crime had been committed, and neither party expressed interest in making a report. The homeowner never pointed the gun at Demetrius and remained on his property or in the street in front of his house during the confrontation.
Asked for a comment by local news, Demetrius noted that some neighbors have alleged the homeowner has acted similarly in the past. Demetrius cited his safety as the reason he videotaped the encounter.
“That’s why I had my video rolling,” he said. “I never knew he had a weapon. I wouldn’t approach anybody who had a gun.”
Demetrius asserted that, in his opinion, the homeowner’s actions were racially motivated.
“In my personal opinion, had I been Caucasian, had I been Mexican or Asian, he wouldn’t be taking pictures.”
Last month, video of teen boys promoting the use of guns went viral online. The clip, which some called disturbing, depicted the pair proclaiming that they wouldn’t be harmed because of their gun ownership, before unleashing the weapons.
Demetrius eventually decided to file a report after the confrontation. Police, however, point out that the homeowner was carrying a licensed gun on his own property, and as he didn’t point it at Demetrius, little can be done.
[Image: YouTube/ Demetrius Taylor via the Daily Mail]
