On September 12 of last year, Kam Brock was stopped by the NYPD under suspicion of being high. No marijuana was found on her vehicle, but the NYPD stole her car 2003 BMW 325Ci anyway. (The appropriate term is “confiscate” but please remember the police will literally steal your stuff for no reason and you will likely never get it back.) Why was she stopped in the first place? We can’t be 100% certain, but it’s the NYPD, a Black person driving a BMW, and the charge being suspicion of drug usage, so you can fill in those blanks.
The next day, Brock went to retrieve her car and emotionally admonished those present for putting her through this ordeal in the first place. She was arrested and admitted to Harlem Hospital’s psychiatric ward for 8 days through numerous protests of her sanity. She was finally released with no explanation and no apology, and now Ms. Brock is suing the city.
Much is being made of her race (which, to me, is the most obvious reason why she was stopped in the first place), but I don’t think enough people are addressing the fact that — regardless of race — being instituted against your will is far less likely to happen to a man.
