As a huge Ravens fan, I hate seeing things like this. BUT, Im glad it was nothing once said and done.

I am glad to see nothing happen at the Harbor. I have a 2 year old son that I USED to take there 2-3 times a week.

I guess its better to be safe than sorry.

better safe than sorry unless you are the black man being harassed

When 92% of crime in Baltimore (FBI stat) is committed by blacks, yes, you have a better chance of getting stopped. Blame your brothers, not the police.

My only concern is...if the guard told them the event that he witnessed...why didn't they approach the white man that supposedly handed him the gun? If he was seated with others...why were then not asked to do the same??

"When 92% of crime in Baltimore (FBI stat) is committed by blacks, yes, you have a better chance of getting stopped. Blame your brothers, not the police"

Its not hard to guess that you are white judging by your comment....with that being said, next time you are carrying a DUFFLE BAG or a BOOKBAG, i hope you get harrassed by the cops, "BECAUSE 100% OF PEOPLE WHO BOMB BUILDINGS AND SHOOT UP SCHOOLS ARE WHITE"

now how fair does that sound for you?? i swear man, some ppl have NO CLUE how it is to be black and be pre-judged by FOOLS like urself AND harrassed by the cops...U HAVE NO IDEA what its like...this happens EVERY SINGLE DAY FOR NO REASON and the only reason ppl ACT like they care is becasue its a Raven...but if it was just some random 9-5 black man noone would give a damn..because these STUPID BALTIMORE COPS DO THIS EVERY...SINGLE....DAY!!!!!!!!!!

i hate being stopped by cops... but i hate being shot at by nwa more!!

oh yeah i forgot, about your little "FBI statistic", if you were college educated you would know that you cant always trust data...92%?? lmao, yeah ok buddy, i work in corrections and the % of blacks who commit crime is higher then whites, yes, but in total raw numbers more whites commit crimes then blacks because whites far outway blacks...and if you dont believe me, come visit me at BCDC and i'll prove it (thats Baltimore City Detention Center for the DUMB IGNORENT GUY)!!!

Yes, according to FACT, 92% of crime is committed by blacks, so we must blame fellow blacks. Ever consider this. If race does play into who is stopped, couldn't THAT be responsible for the higher rates of arrest? For instance, if a Trooper was trained, raised up, or whatever, to think most black motorists heading up 95 are transporting drugs, isn't he or she more likely to target that demographic. And more interactions equal more chances to uncover wrongdoing. WHATEVER the race. Do I think the Fein was wrong in this instance? Undoubtedly. Do I think race, however regrettably, factors into police/citizen contacts? Without a doubt. Those who truly think otherwise are doing a disservice to the progress that has been made.

Regaurdless of race, if an officer asks you to do something, do it, if all you have is a cell phone, then once your cleared, you can go on about your business.

i'm sick of racism being claimed in situations like this. I hope this Raven gets harrased by the public for his actions. This agent needs to be fired by all he works for. Race had nothing to do with this, the Raven commited a crime by hitting the cop. I can't wait till the witnesses come forward.

He should have just done what the officer asked - and none of this would have been an issue.
The bottom line is that profiling works. Blacks commit the majority (overwhelming) of crimes in the city. And so don't blame "whitey" for your situation. Blame your fellow black cousins for being profiled.

The police are off the hook!!

"Fein looked over his shoulder directly at Sgt Donato, made eye contact with Sgt Donato, frowned, then turned back around..."

"Fein was then handcuffed with assistance from other officers. Fein was not injured in this incident, and Sgt Donato struck his right arm below the elbow on a chair once pushed by Fein, however, he did not need medical attention at this time."

Sure, racism and profiling are done with (lol).

The mayor and police chief have opened the door for a hurricane to begin stirring.

"Regaurdless of race, if an officer asks you to do something, do it, if all you have is a cell phone, then once your cleared, you can go on about your business."

and

"i'm sick of racism being claimed in situations like this. I hope this Raven gets harrased by the public for his actions. This agent needs to be fired by all he works for. Race had nothing to do with this, the Raven commited a crime by hitting the cop. I can't wait till the witnesses come forward."

This pretty much sums it up for me too.

dothedew wrote "Its not hard to guess that you are white judging by your comment"

How is your comment any less racist? There are other ethnic groups, you know.

FACT - you do not get off that easy. Where are your references on 92% of crime in Baltimore is committed by blacks. I want to see your data from everything e.g. jay walking tickets, moving violations, white collar crime, fiduciary crime, child and elder abuse, sposal abuse etc. Where is your data!!? Or are you just another racist attempting to deceive society with rhetrical scare tactics and rationalizations?

I would like to get an opinion on what the officer should have done. He can only go off of what the security guard told him. Here's the situation: You are a police officer, you get a call about a gun being passed at a table with a description of the people involved. What do you do? Remember, we are talking about a potential gun in an area where two citizens were shot a week before.

Oh my another hearsay incident..somebody calls the cops and report seeing something being passed around that looks like a gun..wow in a busy resturant at that passing a gun around. I wonder did the cops think about observing first before approaching the men. I damn sure nobody report me having a gun if i'm passing a cell phone too a friend.

I'm down with OPP, Openly Protective Police. The next time you need a police officer, try calling a tatted-up, pampered NFL player for help. See how fast he stops his Escalade and renders assistance. America is full of idiots.

Two wrongs do not make a right, but considering the circumstances, I think the right decision was made. If the arresting cops were black, would we be posting these comments?

The bottom line is he should of followed the instructions of the police officer. End of Story. Everyone knows the problems at the Inner Harbor. So, when an officer gives you a simple instruction JUST DO IT!

I am glad a Raven or someone with a higher than normal profile was involved in this situation. People need to understand that shooting at Harbor Place was very serious to the health of the city. These players were away at camp and were not familar with Baltimore. Regardless, there actions did profile them as potential trouble. The good news is no one was hurt and we all get to see that the Police mean business. After all, a "hoody" in 90 degree temps. Why not wear a kick me sign on your back?

"Regaurdless of race, if an officer asks you to do something, do it, if all you have is a cell phone, then once your cleared, you can go on about your business."

That's it. Bend down and kiss the ring of the mighty uniformed royalty. Why not let them search your house? your car?. You've got noting to hide, right. Let us see your papers!!
A person should have a right to sit down, enjoy lunch and pass a cell phone around without having to deal with questions from cops.

I hope Fein sues the heck out of this lame security guard.

"I'm above the law. Don't you know who I am?"

The scourge of the Pro Athelete.

atrimble - I would like to see the data myself, but only data on gun crimes and drugs dealing in the city. It be interesting to see this info published. I would suggest the correction officer take and release data on those in prison on gun charges and violent crimes as well. We need this data published in baltimore to help clear up profiling claims and so forth.

Better safe than sorry!!! I bet you are white. Think about it which person in their right mind would just turn around and push a police officer, doesn't that sound completely ridiculous? This is definitely profiling, harassment and abuse. But like most of you who is not black think, better safe than sorry, huh...Yeah until it's you being harass.

Fein is an idiot, all he had to do was show the officer the cell phone. It seems he'd rather be arrogant, racial, and provocative than cooperate with the officer and have the whole incident over in a few minutes. Jerk, if he isn't smart enough to resolve a cell phone issue with the police, is he smart enough to play for the Ravens??? Or instead maybe the guy is just a jerk!!!!

Amazing how many people, white and black, get the raw end of the stick when they do not do as ordered byt he police. Guess the Raven is following in Ray Lewis' footsteps. Maybe angling for a beer with our loser president?

What would McNulty do?

dothedew: More whites commit crimes then blacks because whites far outway blacks? Really?

Clearly statistical mathmatics isn't you're strong point, no sooner than spelling and grammar.

According to the US Census (2000), Baltimore's white population is 31.63%, while the black population is 64.34%, and the word you were trying to spell is IGNORANT.

This was not a case of racial profiling by the police. The police received a call about a handgun in the harbor. There have been a rash of shootings in the harbor lately. So they responded, and inquired. The Raven acted inappropriately. Also, they went to the black man first, cause according to the report, he's the one that had the gun, the white man reportedly gave it to the black man, and the police will always try to neutralize any possible threat, then figure out what happened. Stop assuming race just because a black man gets stopped.

To those stating that racial profiling works and is necessary, consider this, it is common knowledge that the vast majority of kiddie porn sexual predators and offenders are middle aged white males. How about we electronically tap into the computers of everyone who fits that demographic to fish around and see whats there? Does anyone in that demographic think that is acceptable? CRIMINALLY profile. Not racially.

Dothedew-
You ranting arguemnet just reinforces my point. You state, " yes, but in total raw numbers more whites commit crimes then blacks because whites far outway blacks..." That is obvious, but the ratio is way out of proportion.

Of the country's 14,860 homicide victims, 7,125 were black, according to the FBI'ss Uniform Crime Report. And of the 3,289 cases in which a single black was killed by a single assailant, the FBI says, 91% of the killers were black. Homicide is the leading cause of death among African-American males ages 15 to 34. These figures also indicate that between 1976 and 2008, 95 percent of black murder victims were killed by black offenders.

That should appall everyone, especially the black community.

http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/ucr.htm

I would like to see all the statistics on violent crimes in the city and who commits them. I would like to see this published so we can get the facts out. I doubt 92% are black offenders, probably more like 75% considering the population. I would like to see the correction officer publish statistics on how many violent crimes are committed by race as well.

they were mixed races, the guard approached the man that he thought had the weapon (obviously) - who in turn placed his hands on some silverware. Stupid move.

what do you expect, wearing a hoody in the summer, and you're all inked up?

if you don't want to be treated like a thug, don't dress like a thug, and don't act like a thug.

even as a whitish guy, if i was wearing a galaxy shirt and baggy pants, with hat coked to the side then i would expect some attention from the police, and rightly so.

...just like the woman wearing a mini skirt and a revealing top who gets upset when cops hassle her while she's hanging out on a corner in the seedy part of town - what do you expect?

SAFE?!?!
They suspected that there was a gun. Yet they chose to go and get the suspect in a crowded restaurant. What if this was a real criminal? What if it was a desperate criminal. There needs to be a review of procedures on this one. Wow the city would have loved the lawsuits related to that one, if there was a family caught in a crossfire.

As a black man I must say that it sucks to be profiled, but we all know the know the drill. Hands where they can see em, no quick movements, use your manners. When the injustice is over, get a badge number and make some phone calls.
I would be pissed too, but I would share my anger with a lawyer and not the cop who is just trying to do his job with misinformation.

The security gaurd should be fired. A cell phone looks NOTHING like a gun. There's a reason he's a security gaurd and not a cop.

And for the white men out there, you have NO IDEA what it's like.

This is Baltimore's version of the harvard professor incident. The cop is responding to a call and must act appropriatly to the situation. The suspect acts irrationally and gets arrested. The incident would have been resolved had the suspect acted rationally. Why are the police being labeled for racial profiling when they are simply responding to a call? Maybe somebody should schedule another "Beer Summit" in DC for next week to sort it out...

I wonder how many Baltimore police officers could grab a Ravens linebacker by the sweatshirt and force him to the ground? There had to be a lot of witnesses; I'd like to hear what they saw.

"Clearly statistical mathmatics isn't you're strong point, no sooner than spelling and grammar." - JMB

Always good to see someone who's too stupid to know how to differentiate between your and you're comment on others' grammar.

The word YOU are trying to spell is ironic.

What everyone is leaving out of their opinions is the part of the story that says "..Then reached for the silverware". Silverware - forks and knives - are weapons. The guy was stupid - first he ignored the cop, then reached for potential weapons. This is a no brainer: the cop was well within his rights to slam the guy.

And to all you racists here (read "blacks who deny statistics and whine about "show me your data"),
why didn't the arrest the white guy?" "wiat until you get harrass" (nice grammar there)) - ever bother to think that your attitude is part of the problem? And HOW do you know the other commenters are white? i didn't see any racial identifications in their posts.

For that matter, I didn't see anywhere in the story that the cop was white.

Of course, now I'LL be called a racist. But I'm not. I'm a bigot: I don't like ANYONE who thinks he or she is better than anyone else because of their skin color.

In a city thats 70% black, the fact that 92% of African Americans are at fault is not news. Thats like saying, 87% of all serial killers are white. Then the comment "blame your brothers" is idiotic. You are trying to lump in a whole people.

I’m white; I grew up economically challenged area of Baltimore City and had lots of bad experiences with the police. Don’t be fooled it’s a class thing; if he had a suit on this wouldn’t have happened. It’s not a white/black thing!

92% seems inflated (if that's the percentage claimed), but the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting Program can be accessed here, if anyone wants to waste the time digging through all the various sections and their PDFs:

http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/ucr.htm

The AP reports that "a security officer thought he saw Fein pass a handgun to a friend at the counter of a HarborPlace restaurant" . So if the officer wasnt racially profiling then what was he doing. I am all for the officers protecting themselves. All too often the officer makes the situation worse. I am sure we will see that the Officer went to put his hand on Fein and he pushed his hand off of him and immediately the officer grabs him and detains him. Was Fein acting properly? No but I am sure we will find out that the officer didnt follow proper procedure either. This lack of following procedure may have led to a lack of communication that caused this issue to escalate. Race played an issue in this case definitely, but more so did the lack of communication by the officers that were there.

Hey I’m white and I was stopped in a majority white section of Baltimore by a black officer and a Hispanic officer. I was stopped on suspicion of drug possession or buying; I was out at night and in a drug infested area of town. I was racially profiled!!!! Guess what, I thanked the officers for doing their job, even called the station to thank them for making my community safer. I tell you what, get over the race card!!

Posted by: onebob | August 24, 2009 10:29 AM

"Regaurdless of race, if an officer asks you to do something, do it, if all you have is a cell phone, then once your cleared, you can go on about your business."

That's it. Bend down and kiss the ring of the mighty uniformed royalty. Why not let them search your house? your car?. You've got noting to hide, right. Let us see your papers!!
A person should have a right to sit down, enjoy lunch and pass a cell phone around without having to deal with questions from cops.

This is so wrong.

L7 has it right:

Posted by: L7 | August 24, 2009 10:57 AM

As a black man I must say that it sucks to be profiled, but we all know the know the drill. Hands where they can see em, no quick movements, use your manners. When the injustice is over, get a badge number and make some phone calls.
I would be pissed too, but I would share my anger with a lawyer and not the cop who is just trying to do his job with misinformation.

The security gaurd should be fired. A cell phone looks NOTHING like a gun. There's a reason he's a security gaurd and not a cop.

And for the white men out there, you have NO IDEA what it's like.

Your reaction to this injustice defines who you really are. You (onebob) will be meet resistence at every turn with your response while 'L7' will be 'inconvenienced' for a little while and, more often than not, will receive the apology and respect he deserved we the 'offenders' realize how stupid they were.

This 'problem' will never go away until people learn to act like they want to be treated instead of reacting like they've been treated.

What a way to honor a veteran, treat him like a terrorist!

Once again, cops making mistakes and then writing a report to cover it up. This is actually the norm.

John Davis: It was meant to be "ironic", just like my misspelling of mathematics... they're all too common of spelling mistakes, just as the cry of "racial profiling" is all too common.

The guy wasn't tackled because anyone saw a gun. He was tackled because he was reaching for his silverware, wasn't dressed the way the police like to dress and was seen having something shiney handed to him.

Any policeman that concerned about being attacked with a fork needs to find a desk job. The real bottom line here is if white officers can't deal with black people as citizens of this country who are innocent until proven guilty they aren't qualified for the job.

I was just stopping by to say hi to all of the racists here. I knew you would all be coming out, and deep down inside you are the kind that probably laughed when the 76 year old black male was beaten by the KKK. If you are offended I must be talking about you. Good day, and keep on hatin, because in a United States that is rapidly changing, hat eis all you've got left.

Posted by: bw | August 24, 2009 10:53 AM

SAFE?!?!
They suspected that there was a gun. Yet they chose to go and get the suspect in a crowded restaurant. What if this was a real criminal? What if it was a desperate criminal. There needs to be a review of procedures on this one. Wow the city would have loved the lawsuits related to that one, if there was a family caught in a crossfire.

Only smart on in here. Why was a cop within arm length of an "alleged" armed suspect? Then instead of backing away to a safe distance to offer a second order to rasie his hands aftering being "allegly" dissed the 1st time, the cop just yells at him again and then throws him to the ground. If he is within arm length of Fien this whole time, how is Fien suppose to get up from a bar stool and comply without touching him? this story fails in general......

If the cops had been nice and polite instead of demanding and overly aggressive, I'll bet none of this would have happened. Further, when they found only a cell phone, the whole thing should have been dropped. But no, too much cop ego to do that.

I'm glad this all came out before the Ravens make their final cut. The Ravens want players that have more AWARENESS than this guy. Who are you Mr. Fein?? An NFL player who loves thug life? You would be a better fit in the NBA where they MAKE you follow a dress code. It's obvious you make poor decisions on your own. PUT UP YOUR HOOD

This is a sad situation all around. Whether or not Fein is cleared of the charges, Roger Goodell is likely to bring the hammer down on him. With the commissioner having tightened the screws on behavior on and off the field, anything resembling resisting arrest is going to be viewed as a mark against the league's image.

As a trained Police Officer you have to treat each situation diffrently because if you go with " by the book method " your're might get burned". It doesn't matter if you're a Ravens player or Jose the janitor you have to gage the situation. Why approach these guys from the back ? Sweatshirt, he might have a medical condition so your training has to take over. The Raven has to take resposibility as well if the POLICE tells you to do do something do it until the situation is sorted out !!! Maybe we'll all get invited to Owings Mills to have a beer with Ozzie , Steve and Jim !!

I have read all 56 comments and I totally agree with the guy who says "if he had a suit and tie on would this still have happened?" Why in the he double hockey sticks do the police have all this authority, because they are the LAW? I don't think it was a fair situation, but we weren't there to judge WHY everything blew up the way it did!

After about the 5th post, I stopped reading the posts. There is just too much bitterness from all sides. What is interesting to note is that most everyone is NOT attaching their name to their posts. What are you afraid to let everyone know your true feelings? Are you afraid that someone you know will now know how you truly feel? Come on! Come strong or don't come at all!

It is apparent that just from the response that I have read, there is still a racial devide in America. Most white folks have no idea of what it is like to be a black man in America. They actually beleive that justice is blind.

Next time you are in trouble, call a thug instead of a cop.The cop's have to play by certain rules. Thugs don't!

He (Fein) hasnt done anything wrong, yet. Its one persons story. The cop was trying to control the situation, and when Fein, who probably was feeling harassed as he did nothing wrong, did not react properly. It was a mistake, or just poor judgement. Its easy to say just do what a cop wants, until you are put in that same situation. Bottom line he says he didnt push the cop, why shouldnt we believe him.

I have taught my black 19yr.
grandson as he heads for college
you will be stopped by the police because you are a black male do as they say don't argue you won't win with them it is sad but true. I am from the dogs and water hose era I hope this foolishness will end in my
grandsons lifetime.

I see a couple of things at work here. First of all one only needs to look at the tone of the comments here to know that race still plays a big role in situations like this. There is no getting around it.

I understand the officer being concerned about a man, and yes a Black man being dressed in a hooded sweat shirt at this time of year. It doesn't make sense, except when viewed in the light of the fashion of young Black men that somehow have been duped into taking their fashion cues from gangs, and inmates. But to be a young Black man is to desperately seek acceptance even when that acceptance leads you down the wrong path, or simply to bad fashion choices.

I also understand Tony Feins reaction. I am a Black man, and I have been stopped for what I perceived as being a BS reason. I am a Ph.D, but I still dress in jeans and a tee shirt when I am at leisure, and sometimes at work too. I do not want to be harassed by a cop for any reason. I have worked hard, I am a good man, and I don't deserve, will not accept that type of treatment. The cop may think he has a good reason for his behavior in light of the necessary crackdown on gang activity at the Harbor. But he is mistaken. He is still responsible to respect peoples rights, and to assume all people are innocent unless proven otherwise. The cop has no right to behave in a belligerent fashion, and to provoke law abiding citizens to anger. NONE. The business owners of the Harborplace must also be careful that in their zeal to protect law abiding citizens that the bully tactics of the corrupt Baltimore City police force does not drive them away. I will think twice before visiting the Harbor. I always think twice, or even three times when I see a cop. Being a Black man I always assume them to be my enemy unless proven otherwise.

Some of the comments on this post are alarming! We don't know all the facts and yet some people are blaming Fein!!! Why did the officer approach Fein?
Was it because of a hooded shirt? Was it because he was Black?
Did Fein really push the officer or did he trip over a chair or someone's foot?
Cops in this city have shot black kids in the back(over a stolen car), even set up innocent black men with drugs(and this was a police sting)!!

Or have you all forgot?

I'm in a booth at a restaurant, naturally, I'll have silverware in front of me. I am yelled at by the cops to get up, not told why I am being yelled at to get up, naturally I turn around, put my hand on the table (that has the silverware) as I push out of the booth to get up.
Sounds like the kid in Severa Park a few years back who was ordered to get out of the car, he reached to unbuckle his belt and was shot by the cop who thought he was reaching for a gun.
When the suspect is innocent and has no idea why he is being yelled at by the police, he will not think to not act in any way that can make it seem he is reaching for a weapon.
The police report quoted above seems to indicate there was police overreaction.
I fully support cops doing everything they need to do to keep themselves afe on the job, but cops need to understand what its like to e an innocent citizeen being harrassed (when you are inncoect, it feels like harrasment to you). So, being pushed back a bit (within reason) when you are being overly agressive comes with the territory. Its human nature, especially for a war vet and football player, they keep aggressiv epeople at a distance for a living.

You people don't read. A SECURITY GUARD at the pavilion witnessed what he thought was a gun being passed between these men. HE call the police. The officer was reacting to a situation based on information from someone else. He shows up and a guy at the counter is wearing a hoodie on a 96 degree day. His job is to find out what's going on, and to make sure the pavilion is safe. So he started with the guy wearing the sweatshirt which he thought could easily conceal a gun.

BTW, chances are if you push a cop, things are not going to end well for you, don't care what ethnic background you come from.

Maybe I can shed some light on this situation as a white male, armed service member, and with ties to law enforcement. First, lets assume we take the report at face value until we hear otherwise. There are plenty of issues at work here that led to this confrontation:

Let me preface this by saying law enforcement is basically scared into proper protocol. Example: all new traffic cops have to watch videos of traffic stops gone bad - i.e. pulling over a speeder who is actually a convicted drug dealer who says they dropped their license and reach under the chair, producing a handgun and shoot the officer point blank in the head (all captured on the dashboard camera and audio). Widowed wife, fatherless children, all because a traffic stop went bad. So after watching this, they are trained to prevent any sudden movements and watch for warning signs.

1) You might think its your right to wear a hoody in 90 degree weather and get tattoos, and it is but when countless men and women have died after a suspect produces a handgun concealed in baggy clothes - that is a situation where the "profile" or stereotype exists for a reason. It is suspicious behavior and that alone may not have induced an altercation, but remember the cop had already been told of a possible shiny object being passed and BAM - here is a man in a baggy hoody in the summer, perfect for concealment.

2) Going back to the videos. The suspect is always "just reaching for something" or "confused by the directions" and I guarantee everytime any cop sees a hand dart somewhere or a command disobyed they think back to that training and those images of cops being killed and murdered in cold blood because they didn't take action when the suspect failed to comply. These are husbands, fathers, and sons, and they don't want to die. They don't know the man in question is a Ravens LB, they don't know if he is a poet laureate, or a gang member. What they do know is they don't want to die and something as simple as reaching for silverware or showing them its a cellphone, is exactly what the dead officers were told or observed seconds before being killed.

3) Facts are facts but we need to delinate what "crime" is? Serial killers, sex offenders, etc. are overwhelmingly white but it is a proven fact and FBI statistic that 92% of violent crime is committed by blacks in Baltimore AND (something to think about) blacks kill more blacks every year then the total number of blacks ever killed in 400 years of slavery. Think about that. So armed with those numbers and those images in their head what turned out to be a Ravens LB in a hoody with a shiny cell phone could have been a notorious gang member with a loaded gun and a dead cop in the middle of the harbor.

I ask that you please think about this before calling racism.

After the Harbor shooting

On Sunday, both the mayor and the police commissioner said they wanted cops to take a tougher stance, even rousting suspected gang members who come downtown. "Some people might not like it," Sheila Dixon told The Sun's Annie Linskey. "Some radicals are going to speak out about it. Our officers are going to have to become more aggressive."

So The african-american mayor has basically told radical groups that they are going to have to deal with some racial profiling, well since the african-american community is appalled that this Raven was racially profiled i guess Sheila Dixon won't win another election since she has called for this....who are we suppose to vote for now? And I'm refreshing the Sun webpage because I'm expecting Sharpton and Jackson Jr. to be in the City before the evening news.....Hey Fein, if you want to make the Ravens roster tell your agent to keep his mouth shut and hope this blows over in a hurry, catch 22 if you make some plays tonight, you may make a good impression on the coaches but the local news is going to use that footage in their lead story......

I beleive that both Mr.Fein and the officer are victoms of the enviornment in witch they find themselves, Shootings and muggings at the innerharbor have lead to a hightend sensitivity, bad all the way around..

I have made the mistake of taking witnesses statements of weapon possession before where it came and bit me on the backside (big-wig person with legitimate object, NOT a weapon). Unfortunately many times, due to hyper-vigilance, security and police officers' imagination fills in blanks when they see something. I've worked with both scums of society and the rich, famous and influential persons and recognize they tend to respond differently to someone with a badge. I start responses to questionable situations with a sign of respect to the potential subject. I keep backup at bay, to keep mood non-confrontational. The first 30 seconds typically provide all the information to determine if a potential hostile or benign situation is about to occur. I've diffused criminal actions without incident by this initial show of respect, but still gained the upper hand and apprehending contraband and wrong-doers. Unfortunately, this approach is under used in law enforcement, in favor of the "shoot first, ask questions later" approach.

I feel you Patrick but ...... in the same time the officers need to be train how to handle these situation correctly. They need to be taught how to defuse a given situation calmly and quickly. So often these officers are taught as cadet how to resolve these issues but when they get the field the vets tell them to forget everything they just learned because that will get you killed. Then these new officers follow what the vets teach them whether it be wrong or right.

The officers report that was published is almost too perfect. It also leaves out some important details i am sure will surface once some investigation happens.

To the point about the officer going in to the situation with prior knowledge. The truth is the officer didnt know what the situation was. That security guard is no more trained to recognize a gun than a local clerk. The officers that responded should know this and the likely hood this Security officer would be wrong. They needed to enter the situation and assessed the situation and acted according. It sounds like they enter the situation with the wrong information and acted on this wrong information.

Mr. Fein is a citizen of USA and as such is entitled to at least the basic rights that are stated in our Constitution. That being said the officer should be cautious, but still needs to respect the rights of MR Fein or for that matter even the common thug.

Why weren't the other individuals detained and at least used for witnesses. If the police were as concerned as they supposedly were, one would think they would have checked all of the individuals for the weapon.

It's also good to know that I could be harrassed because I wear shorts in the winter and that is not weather appropriate.

BRETT...SHUT UP!AS FOR DEFENDING THE COP OR THE YOUNG MAN, REALLY, RIGHT OR WRONG IT HAPPENS. TOO MANY TIMES COPS JUSTIFY WHAT THEY DO, BE THEY "GOOD OR BAD" BLACK OR WHITE THEY'RE STILL COPS. OUR POLICE NEED TO BE MORE PROFESSIONAL AND OUR YOUTH NEED TO BE AWARE OF WHERE THEY ARE AND WHAT COULD HAPPEN. WHY DON'T WE JUST DEMAND THAT CITY GOVERNMENT MAKE MORE OF AN EFFORT TO CLEAN UP THE CRIME IN BALTIMORE? ITS A SHAME ITS COME TO THIS...I WONDER IF COPS DOWN IN FED'L HILL ARE VIEWING EVERY WHITE BOY AT DINNER "WITH TATS AND A PHONE" AS A THREAT? GET REAL, IT IS WHAT IT IS...WHITE BOYS CAN BEAT THE CRAP OUT OF 76 YR OLD BLACK MEN, AND THERES NO UPROAR. THERE WAS MORE SYMPATHY FOR THE DOG THAT WAS SET ON FIRE. UNBELIEVABLE !SERIOUSLY, FOR THOSE WHO DON'T UNDERSTAND NO EXPLANATION WILL EVER DO. FOR THOSE WHO DO UNDERSTAND AN EXPLANATION IS NOT NEEDED! PEACE !!

cops are meatheads, but nevertheless never tick them off.

also, the racial profiling argument is nonsense since the police acted on a tip.

on a different footnote...it's not racial profiling...it's called the law of probability...especially since black males by percentage commit an insane amount of the crime in bmore....i think 90% plus. it's an unfortunate stat...but true.

it's like the radical jihad terrorists...not all arabs are terrorists...but all terrorits are arab.

sad but true, so we have to act accordingly.

EACT why would anyone ask the person who they thought handed a gun to someone I mean if they handed it to someone then that someone has the gun the danger is the gun not the person who use to have the gun.

Why it is that all of the self proclaimed "black" contributors to this article are full of rage and hatred?? Can't you see, just based on this presence that there is so much anger, and pent up agression, anyone would be scared of a black person, especially wearing a hoodie and blately ignoring police requests.

I'm missing the part of the report that says that Sgt. Donato identified himself as a Baltimore City Police officer. I am also missing the part were Sgt. Donato asked the entire group to put their hands were he could see them. This thing stinks big time. Where are the security videos from Johhny Rockets and Harbor Place? And yea if Mr. Fein was in a Jos. A Banks suit I am sure Baltimore's Finest would not have acted so belligerent to start. And yea the city is on the verge of loosing its most famous tourist spot to gang thugs. However the police MUST treat all as innocent until otherwise proven guilty.

This whole thing makes me sick
Not because the dumb a55 gets busted but the way it gets all twisted over race.
Its real simple, respect the cops and theres no story. Act like an ahole and this is what you get. Plain and Sim Yo

Glad to see that some people can evaluate this story with open mind before shooting at racism... Brett, i'm french police officer and totally agree with you... Bear the dog you're absolutely right...
BTW even if i'm a cop, i like to wear hoodies and baggies and i'm reguraly controlled by french Police forces: i always speaks with calm, decline my identity, never make quick moves and always tell the police officer what i'm going to do (reaching my badge for example.)
In this situation: SIR, i'm mister fein, a rookie of the baltimore ravens, i'm going to stand up and provides you my wallet.
I'm unarmed. SIR i'm going to reach slowly my cell phone with my right hand... And of course if the police officer don't want me to move, I DON'T MOVE.
there no racism here, just a cop focusing on his safety and Mr fein acting like a fool... yes i respect Mr fein for his army duties but regarding to his military education he's supposed to respect the law and order more than anybody isn't he?

OK Kids, let's review.

If a police officer tells you to stand up and keep your hands where he can see them, you do what the officer tells you to do. You can also say something like "no problem officer, there obviously is some kind of mistake, but I appreciate the dangers of your job. Let me know what you need so we can resolve this quickly"

You'll be amazed at how often you don't get arrested using this method.

OK Kids, let's review.

If a police officer tells you to stand up and keep your hands where he can see them, you do what the officer tells you to do. You can also say something like "no problem officer, there obviously is some kind of mistake, but I appreciate the dangers of your job. Let me know what you need so we can resolve this quickly"

You'll be amazed at how often you don't get arrested using this method.

Hmm....Let's take a look at the news today.

Black Dude Involved In Shooting
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5geJU6XbToRijwdGkbDR7NtRCJR_gD9A9C0AG2

South Carolina Football Player Charges with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and public drunkenness
http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/story/12107102

Beasley Goes Into Rehab
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4419340

And these were just today from the Yahoo and Google frontpages.

"Hey I’m white and I was stopped in a majority white section of Baltimore by a black officer and a Hispanic officer. I was stopped on suspicion of drug possession or buying; I was out at night and in a drug infested area of town. I was racially profiled!!!! Guess what, I thanked the officers for doing their job, even called the station to thank them for making my community safer. I tell you what, get over the race card!! "

Same thing happened to me in DC. Young white kid with three girls lost in a bad DC neighborhhod makes for suspicion that I am there for bad things. I actually understand that.

Geez, the real issue here is the reaction to this story! I'm so tired of the race card being played all of the time... Pass the Maalox please. I just hope there is video of this incident, and we can make a better decision (not judgment) based based on the actual facts.

You can keep your "40 acres & a mule", I just hope you care for them better than you care for each other...

@Jim Jones

Maybe black people are full of hatred and rage because of stupid things happening to us that piss us off. Our experiences give us the right to be angry.

If you don't want black people to be angry, stop pissing us off (duh!)

Race Card, go figure. They will use it until the end. How bout just comply if you did no wrong. I guess that would be to easy.

I think a big point that people on both sides of this argument are overlooking is that we have a very incomplete report so far of what actually happened. Fein could have done nothing wrong, or he could have shoved the offer. The officer could have acted improperly or not. Until we know more facts, we should all withhold judgement, rather than taking one side or another based on race.

Reading all these comments saddens me. Race is not at all relevant to this situation, and it's such a shame that the lens we look through on all sides are so clouded with racial prejudice and suspicion that we can't even see it.

Fein was arrested because he assaulted an officer. The officer approached him because of a call reporting an unknown object being handled that was suspected of being a firearm. The only person in this situation who did anything wrong was Fein, and I find it abhorrent that he and his agent seem to want to place the race card to justify his illegal and violent response to the officer's justified investigation.

Don't get me wrong- I am not siding with the commenters who are arguing on behalf of "profiling." That is immoral and illegal, and as other posters have pointed out can easily lead to a slippery slope of government intrusion in our lives.

What I am saying is that this is an area that has recently been struck by a spike in gang-related crime and was on high-alert for anything suspicious. I security guard saw something suspicious and did his job by calling the police. The police officer did his job by approaching Fein's table to confirm that the suspicious object was not in fact a weapon. Everyone did their job, and it is a shame that Fein was apparently so affected by a misperception of racial prejudice that he lost his judgment and assaulted the officer.

Paging professor Bates and Sergeant Crowley? The variables are a little different but the basic equation is the same. The initial reaction here is similar, but in the Bates v Crowley case and here in Fein vs unidentified BCPD, the final analysis was full of shades of gray, and so is this situation. Without being there at the time, we basically have to go by the accounts of the police and any witnesses, and so far just the police version has surfaced. As a white resident of the city, I have more black neighbors than white and have seen the attention they draw from police is different from the attention I draw. That being said, the BCPD has a very tough job to do policing whats left of the city for those of us who live here. Err on the side of civil rights and you're one shooting at the harbor away from your town being compared to Beirut, be more aggressive and you're on the front page of the Sun for profiling. It's a messy situation that defies simple solutions. As jaded as this sounds Fein's experience, just like mine of having my broken into 5 times a year, is part and parcel with living just enough for the city in 2009.

It seems strange to me that an Iraq war veteran would shove a cop. Most people, especially officers and soldiers, know the routine, so why he would have shoved the officer seems strange to me. The "reaching for the silverware" is also interesting because the guy was probably putting his hands on the table to stand up. Think about it. A cop, who even according to the police report, does not identify himself as a cop, but just says stand up and keep your hands where I can see you. The guy turns around to see who's saying this to him. He sees its a cop, puts his hands on the table, where, considering its a restaurant, has silverware, to help himself stand up. The cop was also standing close to him. If this guy is that big, is it possible that the contact with the cop was a mistake? It also states that Fein didn't have any other injury, which means he was cooperative in the arrest. Doesn't that seem strange to have a guy who pushes a cop and then is all of a sudden cooperative?

I also want to ask anyone who's in law enforcement about the cops approach. If you were in this situation, would you have approached a person suspected having a weapon from behind and stop within arms length of him? I am really curious as to what the protocol is for this situation because the way the cop handled the situation doesn't seem to make sense to me.

If you're interested in changing racial profiling, ranting and raving at incidents like this won't do it.

Security guards and police react on instinct when they racially profile. In today's society, discrimination is something we all try to consciously avoid. Instances of racism actually increase in more heterogeneous societies (ex. Baltimore being 70-30) and decrease in more homogeneous societies (ex. Norway having very little ethnic diversity). Reason being, people don't have enough of a background to develop such stereotypes. Fight those and nip them in the bud. Don't bother reacting to something which has already happened.

Encourage your kids to make inter-racial friendships and make yourself a community activist for people of all races. That seems like a very viable option in an area as diverse as this one.

THATS IRAQI WAR VET RAVENS ROOKIE to all the folks that continue to question his character without knowing the facts. and calling this man a jerk when you dont know him. I wish i can say regardless of color, but I have been harrassed many times in many places by police and security. from the what are you doing in this area when i am doing my job in Roland Park and upper Guildford, to being stopped near my old neighborhood.. still own my family's home on north avenue. because of how im dressed and what i drive.

I can pretty much tell you what went down.. the cop.. already hyped up by a report of a gun demands him to "stand up and keep his hands where i can see them..."

Instinct would tell you that the normal reaction would be "why" or what for.. or could be that he didnt think he was talking to him because in his mind, and probably yours YOU DIDNT DO ANYTHING WRONG..

Now lets look through the cop (s) eyes.. 6ft 1 245 overly athletic build.. tatts and black.. yeah must be a banger..

made that assumption off the bat. and he is wearing a sweatsuit with a hood. well then my girlfriend is a crimminal because she takes a sweater or hoodie into anyplace with AC in it.. because she gets cold fast.. could be the same for Fein? we dont know..

so tired of people using the race card.....

get over it.....if any police ask you to do something, just do it and when they realize no handgun was there go back to eating the food.

Fein was TOTALLY wrong in this situation...As has been said many times here, Just cooperate and NOTHING happens here except the truth is gathered without any fighting and arrest. But no, thug life dictates that you resist authority and play the race card. Being White in a black neighborhood ain't no fun either. Being hated simply because your white in a blue uniform. Black racism is alive and well also in our society and treated as if it doesn't exist. It does. This was not racial profiling....It was Real police acting upon a tip from Inner Harbor securiety. Proper police procedure was follwed, and appropriate response to resistance was used. If it walks like a thug, dresses like a thug, and is found where thugs have been hanging out, it just be a thug. He is lucky he was not shot...Police don't have X-Ray vision nor can they read minds. They have to approach, ask questions, issued appropriate orders and act when they receive hostile behavior.....

Tired of the race card? How about lying police officers correcting the record after the fact to justify a bad arrest? If you assume cops don't lie, then you're only revealing your lack of experience with the criminal justice system. Perhaps a good thing, but until you're on the receiving end of such mendacity, or have exposed same through litigation, you really have absolutely no idea what is really going on.

This was a bad arrest. Period. It should never have gone this far. You think your first instinct is to cooperate with a police officer when forcefully detained in error? Your defensive instincts may surprise you in this regard. Plus, some will beat your head in as a matter of course once they get a hold of you; knowing they can add the details later.

Cops carry guns, so when they tell me to do something I do it because I realize I'm one quick movement away from getting shot.

The fact that 99% of street level crime is done by BLACK MEN is hard for some people to admit but its STILL TRUE!!!
If WE BLACK PEOPLE want to stop BEING harrased by POLICE WHO ARE JUST DOING THERE JOBS, THEN WE AS
BLACK PEOPLE HAVE TO DO BETTER! BOTTEM LINE!

Bob Cooper, you're an idiot.

I find it amusing when listeners of Beck & Limbaugh parrot their racist views. Why is Fein a racist? Because he was annoyed to be singled out by a cop. That's happenned to me...and it is annoying.

I also will be interested to know who made physical contact first, Fein or the officer.

Fein had no reason to go after the cop. Maybe Fein had a few beers and accidentally knocked the chair into the cop. Or could it be a thin skinned cop who doesn't like any sign of disrespect? I think cops get the same respect back that they give. Even as a white guy, I've run into several officers with attitudes. I was being respectful and they were misinterpreting the situation or my words.

Fein isn't a thug. Why. do you say he is..because he's at Johnny Rockets. Isn't that a public restaurant around Inner Harbor? Why can't he go there?
Fein is an armed forces veteran and college man, has never been arrested. Sounds like a stand up guy. So does the cop. I think they both probably overreacted.

"you are the kind that probably laughed when the 76 year old black male was beaten by the KKK."

No, that was clearly racism and a despicable act. This was a police officer doing his job.

Boo hoo...he was profiled. Unfortunately, I would think most drug dealers and gang members in the areas surrounding the harbor ARE black. AM I WRONG? They wear hooded shirts and have gang markings. Am I a racist for stating that? Well, then label me a racist. I don't have any hard number facts for you sensitive types...but I know the area.

Let me ask you this: What would YOU have done? And remember, your life and several other innocent bystanders' lives are on the line. You don't know if this guy has a gun or not, if he's hopped up on meth, or anything. Add in the fact that this guy is probably twice your size. Tell me, of Citizens on Patrol, whether you are black, white, hispanic, asian, etc...WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE?

I was taught to mind your manners and respect the police. They're putting their lives on the line every day to make sure shoot-outs like the other week don't happen. A simple "Officer, I only have a cell phone" would have sufficed and would have avoided any confrontation, other than a phone call to the station to report a complaint of profiling.

Add in that this guy has a military background...he should know better. He'll fit right in with the other Suggs...I mean thugs..on the Ravens.

Estimated % of White Americans 74% in 2006

Estimated % of Black Americans 13.4% in 2006

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_the_United_States

Yet 62.9 percent of hate crime offenders in 2007 were white and 20.8 percent were black.

http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/hc2007/offenders.htm

Not trying to pick sides but lets just agree that racism isn't purely one-sided.

This is a sad situation all around. Whether or not Fein is cleared of the charges, Roger Goodell is likely to bring the hammer down on him. With the commissioner having tightened the screws on behavior on and off the field, anything resembling resisting arrest is going to be viewed as a mark against the league's image.

First of all, anyone who claims race is not an issue in this incident or in this country today is either dumb as hell, a racist themselves or a sub-conscious racist. I hope the next time you are out at dinner with your family; the police interrupt your meal and demand to conduct an intrusive search on you and your entire family because they feel they have "probable cause". I wonder how you would then feel. This goes on every single day in Baltimore. We live in a military state under martial law. Cameras on every other corner, illegal searches and abuse of power. And for what? The streets are no more safe than they have been in the past. Is this America or Iraq? Police need to find effective ways of conducting their jobs without taking away the rights of hard working, law abiding citizens!

I can't believe some of you want to fight social injustice with a guy holding a gun on you.

Stupidity creates these situations. If you feel you were improperly treated, do like many above have said: get a badge number and file a complaint.

My brother is a State Trooper and he has told me: Don't argue, keep your hands in plain sight and cooperate.

This applies to anyone dealing with an armed law enforcement person. Black, white, yellow or green.

I think it was staged and they are both just trying to get to the White House for a beer.

I NOW found out that the hoody in question, one of the cataylsts of this whole confrontation was actually a hoody from his army division which clearly stated 9th Army - Fort Hood.

NOW this changes things. This was not a plain black hoody or Rocca Wear or something like that it was clearly marked with a military unit and name. That pretty much throws gang member out the window with a fairly high certainty. I have been approached on more than one occasion by police and as soon as I identify myself as military the situation becomes more relaxed and comfortable for both parties involved.

If the latest info is true that it was an army hoody and the police officer did not identify himself immediately as police. if I am in the harbor, and someone says behind my back "keep your hands where I can see them" (NOTICE NO MENTION OF POLICE IDENTIFICATION) I would reach for something to defend myself too.

To the writer who claimed that white people ave NO IDEA, refferrring to racial profiling, you are right. I can imagine that it sucks and is degrading. However no one is talking about the the current root cause of this problem which is all driven by socio-economic factors. It is true that a disproportionate percnetage of minorities committ street crimes and a disproportionate amount of white males commit white collar crimes. It is simply the opportunity to commit these crimes combined with desperation and social acceptance of certain behaviors within communities. Our goal should be to figure out how to fix what is causing crime rates among minorities to be higher rather than attacking the police for doing their job.

If you were hired to go out and prevent terrorism internationaly, would you start looking for clues in Finland? Norway? No, because there is never an infinate amount of time or resources so you need to work probabilities.

We could talk for years about how we got in this mess and probably should, but we should also talk about how to get out.

I am black and grew up in the city limits. I have had several negative run ins with the police some of which were my fault. Most of which were not. I have never called the police for any assistance with anything, including when I was robbed because I fear the Police department more than I fear gang members. With that said, I realize the Police department has one of the most difficult jobs on the planet and try to cooperate with them whenever possible. The young linebacker should know how this country works by now and despite any unfair treatment, you still need to be respectful, stand up, and let them search you. Police officers want respect. If you give them as much, you usually will be allowed to resume what you were doing and enjoy the rest of your evening. I doubt the linebacker was stupid enough to shove a policeman. But I do think he should have been more respectful. This could have squashed the entire situation.

"Whether or not Fein is cleared of the charges, Roger Goodell is likely to bring the hammer down on him. With the commissioner having tightened the screws on behavior on and off the field, anything resembling resisting arrest is going to be viewed as a mark against the league's image."

So you think Goodell is going to suspend someone if he's guilty of nothing but going to dinner at Johnny Rocket's? Get a clue.

Look the bottom line is...I dont care who you are...if a cop asks you a question...just behave and do as you are asked. If you have done nothing wrong and have nothing to hide life will go on as it is meant to be. and by . I mean "PERIOD"! Story over, Move on, there are far more issues going on in the world than some young rookie being gifted enough to get a shot at the NFL, and feeling the need to just be arrogant and taking things much further than needed. Nothing to do with black, white, green yellow or any other color you can make up. Good citizens rarely have anything to worry about. BTW...GO Ravens!!!

Oh my god did anyone read the report? 3 out of the 4 men seated at the counter were Ravens!

Fein was arrested but RB Matt Lawrence and everybody's favorite 5'7 WR Jason Foster were also there. The birth dates match with the Ravens player roster.

So we are not talking about one Raven in a crowd, there were three of them seated together. So if anyone wants to know what really happened, two other Ravens have that answer...

It's not hard to tell what race the bacon defenders are! Newsflash morons....cops will say whatever it takes in their police reports to protect themselves, that is why there is such a department called "Internal Affairs" because they will say anything in the report if it benefits them. And their little code even persecutes any honest policeman who dares tell the truth. Take the hood off your head and wake up, you european americans make me sick with this cops are angels nonsense. If the accused could write a report that carries the same weight as the arresting officers report we wouldn't need as many jails.

If it's okay to arrest blacks because of your flawed statistics then we should arrest every european american who looks at a kid in the park because they are responsible for an overwhelming majority of child molestation cases!!

Hey, No hood on my head!!, there's a difference between a European American (which I am) and a dumb@$$, which is a person who believes that all cops are angels and doesn't even wait to hear both sides of the story before passing judgment against a veteran who served in Iraq before attending college, just because he is African-American and has tattoos and a hoodie. So please, understand that we aren't all morons like some of these people on here.

Thanks!

Yews sir, here we go again. White cop, black perp. It's just gotta be racial profiling, right? I'm waiting for Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson to jump into the fray. From the look of all the tats all over the perp's body, can anybody say "gang member"? Disgusting.

Chazzie, you seem pretty uneducated. Allow me to recap a little of this story: Tony Fein is an Iraq War Veteran. Calling him a gang member just from the tattoos is a direct reflection of your gross prejudice. My cousin came back from Iraq covered in tattoos...is he a gang member too? "When 92% of crime in Baltimore (FBI stat) is committed by blacks, yes, you have a better chance of getting stopped. Blame your brothers, not the police." More miseducation from the peanut gallery! How much crime goes unreported in the city each year? What percentage of total stops per year by Baltimore cops are stops of whites vs blacks vs latinos? What is the number of convictions versus arrests? Tony shouldn't have shoved the cop. Bottom line. But until people like Chazzie actually step outside their comfort zones and interacting with people on a personal level, then everyone will just continue to pass judgements and nothing will change. Ignorance is not bliss for everyone!

Many convictions are due to drug violations. Blacks and whites both abuse drugs at similar rates and the white population outnumbers the black minority population. Nonetheless there are many more blacks in prison for drug offenses than whites. Why is that?

Could it possibly be racial profiling? Could that explain the 92% stat. Why is a black guy in jail when Mr. Limbaugh is free? Is it because Mr. Limbaugh is rich and white?

I can't come to that conclusion because I know the USA is the greatest nation that ever existed and its police, courts and legislators are beyond reproach.

Once again the horrible BCPD arrest a man with a great job. Not the criminals who carry firearms, who rob, who kill innocents. No these great sluths arrest a big threatning black guy who plays in the NFL, who was unarmed and not bothering anyone but the Barney Fife's who showed up on the scene. Baltimore is a racist, behind the curve dumpster. At least lock up criminals Barney Fife's!!! Plant a gun on him or something. The racist cops always say that the black male was carrying a "shiny object".

Chazzie how dumb are you ? I guess Tommie Lee is a gang member, huh idiot.

if he is an Iraq war vet he may have PTSD like so many Iraq vets have from all of the explosions and ordinance. That can make you snap on people very easily over very little.

As far as race goes, I don't know many guys named "trayam" who are white. Sounds like the security guard was just being cautious. I would be on edge too if there had just been a shooting there a week earlier.

Yeah, his "gang" is the US army Delta force...

Will-"How much crime goes unreported in the city each year?" Much more than there is as intimidation and fear prevents many crimes from being reported. The statistics for crime are based upon witness and victim reports. You're point makes no sense.

The police aren't perfect by any means, but soon the Baltimore Police will be a made up of a majority of black oficers (The number of sworn black officers is 44 percent). Overall, minorities make up half of the department's sworn officers, according to police statistics. In fact, at the top level, minorities and women make up roughly half of command staff positions. So it's not just white officers doing the stops and arrests.

Is it going to reach the point where only black officers can approach black suspects? I guess you can only use racial profiling if your profiling your own race.

Hey Brian,

What were you doing suspiciously..and why were you in a drug infested area..did you have a hood on?

hey Fact,

Most of the black officers were either born in the city or raised in the city.Where most of the white officers on the force are either transplants or even live out of the state of Maryland like Pa.( Do some stats on that)
I beleive its a culture problem with white police officers. Cops need some type of training in culture awareness..Note cops..not just white or black cops..but all cops. Have you notice how more black coaches are starting to emerge in the NFL?..I wonder why.

This city is/has been on a downward spiral since I moved here 5 years ago. I am moving out this week and it sounds like not a day too soon. It is a shame because Baltimore has so much to offer.

However, the racism in this city is unbelievable, FROM BOTH SIDES. The race card is played every time there is an issue. I am not going reiterate statistics because plenty of others have already, but you cannot ignore the numbers. Just observe things when you are out in the city, that is, if you want to roll the dice and hope you have a good time and not encounter the trouble that become the norm here.

Nobody knows all the facts of this particular story but we do know this:
1. The Mayor, the all wise Sheila Dixon, also indicted on a number of issues, has said the police have to take a harder stance in order to make a difference.
2. A security guard, african-american mind you, "racially profiled" Fein, not the white police officer.
3. 2 people were shot the week before there.
4. Every suspicious person should be treated exactly that way. Tough love gets peoples attention and gets the point across.

I had an experience when driving though town and as I was driving, several black youth walked out in the middle of the street. Of course I had to stop and when I honked, god forbid, one of them slapped my side view mirror so it would bend. Do you think I got out of the car? No way, because all of a sudden there is a racial issue and I become an angry white man. They were completely in the wrong and that type of behavior leads to bigger and worse things. Do you think that young man would have done that to my car if I was black? I doubt it.

This city is in big trouble and nobody knows how to stop it from imploding. I cannot wait to get out of here.

It's as simple as this: White people don't understand what it's like to be black in America. Fair enough, how could they? But white people have no interest in trying to learn what it's like to live as a black person in America. White people have never had to put up with profiling, dirty looks, and the like: it's what Cornel West calls white privilege. Because white people have never experienced this and because they are, by and large, provincial, incurious and not empathetic, it's incredibly hard for them to realize that these situations exist. I mean, how could they? It's not a part of their lives and it's nothing they've ever taken time to consider. With no basis to understand the black situation, white people easily file all complaints from blacks into the "angry black guy" file--whether that complaint is actually legitimate (as it usually is) or hyperbolic. In other words, your average white guy considers "I was given the evil eye by the shopkeeper" and "The white man is poisoning KFC chicken" to be equally ludicrous. And I'm writing this as a white man who knows white people pretty well.

I made the first comment on here. And YES, its better to be safe than sorry... MEANING....

Its better for the Cops to do something about the situation, than nothing at all. Nothing to do with black or white.

_______________________________

Better safe than sorry!!! I bet you are white. Think about it which person in their right mind would just turn around and push a police officer, doesn't that sound completely ridiculous? This is definitely profiling, harassment and abuse. But like most of you who is not black think, better safe than sorry, huh...Yeah until it's you being harass.

Posted by: MadMike | August 24, 2009 10:36 AM

Yes MadMike, I am white. Whats your point? The cops wasnt profiling. Do you think its odd to wear a hoodie in temps the 90s???

And MadMike, lets not forget something, the white cop showed up b/c the black security officer called him....

but you wanted to ignore that part.