On July 2, 2026, a North Carolina police officer, J.K. Dunn, woke up a sleeping Black man, claiming he was “causing a commotion.” The man, Dan McKenzie, who was now wide, asked in confusion, “I was laying here asleep. I caused a commotion?”
This story of racial profiling comes from Instagram user @braveboston, who took out his phone to capture the entire ordeal and tried his best to defend himself against the ridiculous accusations made by a cop. McKenzie was quickly backed up by the bystanders who gathered around him and voiced their support for him.
“How did he cause a commotion when he was asleep?” said one frustrated traveller. Another tried to urge the police officer to let the sleeping man be, “He was just sitting here.” However, nothing seemed to faze the police, and he continued to insist that the man needed to get out.
“It’s still a commotion, and we’ll still ask them to leave. I have to enforce people wanting to enforce trespass laws on their own property, right?,” the cop replied.
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When one bystander asked why McKenzie was being harassed, the police officer replied, “So that’s great because you don’t have to understand it.”
McKenzie, who had been communicating with the cop with respect, finally snapped. This brief reply evidently infuriated him. McKenzie said, “Right, nobody has to understand but this guy right here. He’s the only one that needs to understand anything. The one with the gun.”
He further compared the incident to the post-Civil War “Black Codes” used by Southern police to restrict African Americans through frivolous arrests for things such as simply standing around. “Them slave catcher laws, them black codes, that trespassing, right, that vagrancy laws, right,” he said.
McKenzie’s supporters could clearly see through the police officer’s motive. He had been trying to dominate him because he had the upper hand. However, the cop denied trying to assert authority,
The situation calmed down when a Black security guard and a Black female officer stepped in. When McKenzie asked if he could close his eyes and sleep, the guard said yes, meaning there would be no ticket or arrest. By the end of the video, the original officer had left the station.
Viewers did not hold back from expressing their thoughts on the bizarre encounter.
One commentator pointed out that the police officer could have targeted McKenzie to take out his own frustration, “He definitely was bullied in school! You can tell by his facial expressions.”
Another chimed in, adding that he probably took part in the Fourth of July celebrations and vowed to work for American citizens. “He definitely wore a mask and marched on July 4th. whats with his attitude when he supposed to be working for “we the people”
A third viewer added that the cop looks “problematic.” Further noting, “Dei cop in full force. That cop looks like emotional breakdown waiting to happen.”
“Take away qualified immunity and fine their pensions,” read another comment.
