I went to work on July 7th, 2016 but could do little or nothing, so instead, I watched video after video of unarmed black men killed by the police. My eyes were red as the waterworks kicked in; call them tears. I then went to one of our meeting rooms with a large card and a sharpie, made my protest sign, rolled it up, and planned to leave my car in the office garage and walk to the light rail station on Galatyn parkway a few feet away to board a train to the protest downtown.
As the clock ticked, the countdown to a dangerous moment was on. My brain triggered a surge of adrenalin, aware of the danger ahead, causing my heart to beat faster than usual, pushing my body into a different mode.
At 4.30 pm, I hopped on the train. The temperature was 98 degrees Fahrenheit, and I was sweating profusely, frightened that things, anything might go wrong and the result would be death(s). So I became weak since I had just been off work, and dinner time was creeping on.
Not to pass out, I entered the McDonald’s on Commerce street(downtown), a few meters away from where we were to meet at 6 pm and ordered a cheeseburger, some fries, and a large cup of coke.
Out of the restaurant, I strolled across the street and received a handshake from Alexander, one of the protest organizers. The other was a white pastor named Jeff. The protest was not a black lives matter event, but some have tried to pin that name on it.
We listened to speeches and marched through a chosen path downtown unmolested by the police. They were very friendly and happy to watch a peaceful protest. As night fell, we ended up at the old courthouse before dispersing.
By all accounts, the protest was over, but some people just lingered as I hurried back to the rail to board the train to beat the crowd. Once on board, my phone buzzed. It was one of my sons with the worst message of my life. “Dad, they are shooting downtown.”
Upon arrival at home, I turned the TV on in the breakfast nook and saw what looked like fireworks, but the gunpowder in the air was not for celebration, marking any pleasure. So this was an offense punishable by law unfolding in real-time, and worst still, these were law enforcement officers gunned down by someone who was not a protester.
My heart beats, but Michael Krol, Lome Ahrens, Michael Smith, Brent Thompson, and Patrick Zamarripa had no pulse. That breaks my heart.
PS: With five officers dead, and nine plus two civilians wounded, Dallas police made sure Micah Xavier Johnson would have to talk to a robot strapped with a bomb. He was blown to pieces.
We acknowledge good policing:
Francis Baldwin Deen 
Great piece!
Thanks for lending a voice to the voiceless.
Great research, well-written article.
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No, thanks for your comment Mr. Kessebeh. For many young black men I talked to (and I have spoken to many) , the infliction of death on policemen is in return for death suffered. A tit for tat.
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Plano Police Department gets 2.5 out of 5 stars
in 26 public reviews on YELP, and that’s an F. (Here are a few)
Fox E.Elite 2022
Buffalo, NY
12/14/2018
These are cops with no plan of what to do next. That’s why when you ask them if they have a plan, they say, Plan? No.
I’ve had a couple of run-ins with the Plano Police but nothing really bad. I’ve heard a few bad stories but personally they treated me okay and I haven’t felt discriminated against or picked on at any point like I have by a hell of a lot of other Suburban police departments around the country so that is good.
The station is right in the middle of one of the main plazas of Plano, in the heart of Asian town area which is honestly most of the North Burbs of Dallas these days, and it’s better for it. Shares a plaza with H Mart and an amazing restaurant called Sichuan Folk.
Police don’t mess with them
Hey do you know if there are ever any police cars in this parking lot?
Yelp U.
Plano, TX
01
8/29/2022
Please charge Officer Chris Muhitch with a hate crime for racially taunting me. I was the victim of a heinous crime, then got an abusive phone call from Officer Chris Muhitch. He wanted to lecture me on being a racist heretic or to harass and terrorize me further, but when the topic came up of Americans doing fraudulent wars for Israel that killed and maimed millions of Middle Eastern people, he sarcastically, and passive-aggressively said, “Awww!” That would be kind of like me calling a synagogue and taunting them about their Holocaust mythology or calling a police station and gloating about the the latest killing of American cops. Did you know the jews did 9/11?
Robbie W.
Allen, TX
01
8/11/2022
ya gonna arrest another innocent person? over a wellness check. yeah police suck. lmao
Marie L.
Little Elm, TX
01
3/1/2022
New officers, DO NOT apply here. Especially women. A lot of the officers are decent people, but you will work under sergeants and lieutenants who consistently sexually harass, bully, manipulate, and destroy lives for any petty reason. This is well known throughout the department, and the chief will 100% back this behavior up so his admins don’t look like shady idiots (which they are). IA, Sergeants, and lieutenants will manipulate and sleep with women who work under them and bully officers. There is even a lieutenant with a history of a peace bond placed on him by Plano residents after he stalked them due to an argument in a restaurant, (he was never fired) and multiple , multiple covered up misconduct cases by admins. Stay away from this department, it’s not worth it.
Kelly M.
Plano, TX
015
7/15/2022
I am deeply saddened by the way I was treated by Plano police department. I had a bad experience with officer Jacob Evans, and it was obvious that he was extremely condescending and wanted to benefit himself at the expense of other people. He should really take an anger management course. The police are not here to help you. They are power-hungry and obsessed with their own careers and protecting themselves. They will racially harass you and give different people different types of treatment. They do not care if you’re having an emergency or if you are struggling in life. I have felt so humiliated by Plano PD’s attitude, and I hope they will not hire people like Officer Evans in the future.
Phyllis D.
Little Rock, AR
051
6/1/2022
I thought Plano police would assist when help is needed but I was incorrect. I live in an apt. complex and when I have police issues they say call us. Well I’m not sure WHY I’m calling them because they do absolutely NOTHING!!! So residents in Apt’s might want to live in another city because if you have issues with other residents that warrant police, they won’t do anything.
I A.
Bagley, Detroit, MI
021
2/22/2021
Plano police fucking up again! It seems two Plano, TX cops detained and then arrested an 18 year old for walking home after work. They cited that he walked in the street just as the police did since it was a bloody snow storm! The ought to be punished for there stupidity! Names and badge numbers needed!!!
Alex W.
Las Vegas, NV
02
2/22/2021
If you walk home from work in a snowstorm in the street because the sidewalks haven’t been shoveled and you’re Black, the Plano police will arrest you rather than help you. So citizens, don’t call for “Wellness Checks” because the Police don’t do those.
theguardian.com/us-news/…
Mirko C.
Arlington, TX
01
12/25/2021
This department has no clue when it comes to wellness checks. Just another excuse to arrest innocent people.
1 of 3 pages,
22 other reviews are not currently recommended.
https://www.fox4news.com/news/plano-police-say-charge-dropped-for-18-year-old-arrested-while-walking-home-from-work-in-the-snow
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