Michigan Cop Stops Black Man for Walking With Hands in his Pockets in the Freezing Cold

Impact

We're entering the dead of winter, and temperatures are beginning to dip below freezing across the country. But if you're a black man, don't bother putting your hands in your pockets for warmth — someone may call the police on you for "looking suspicious." 

Pontiac, Michigan resident Brandon McKean discovered this on Thanksgiving Day after a police officer stopped and question him while he was out on a walk. The officer said he was responding to a call from a concerned resident regarding McKean's presence in his neighborhood.

"You were walking by ... you were making people nervous," the officer says when McKean asks him why he was stopped. You'll notice that the officer whips out his own iPhone to record the incident after McKean starts recording on his own phone.

"By walking by?" asks McKean.

"Yes, they said you had your hands in your pockets," answers the officer.

"Wow, walking by having your hands in your pockets makes people nervous to call the police when it's snowing outside?" responds McKean, incredulous.

"Yeah," the officer says calmly, before continuing to question McKean. "What are you up to today?"