Member-only story
Power Tripping
A Police Encounter That Will Always Stay with Me
It was a scorching day in July. I had just graduated high school and was enjoying the summer break. I left my house and decided to walk a couple of blocks to meet up with my friends. As I walked to my destination, I bumped into my friend Chris’ mother. She was coming back from a store, and she had her son Bran with her. Bran was a toddler; she was carrying him in one arm while also carrying the things she bought at the store. I slowed down and grabbed Bran from her. I remember playing and laughing with him as I took a detour back to her house.
Before we got to her home, we saw a large group of people gathered outside of a house. The house was reputed to sell illicit drugs across the neighborhood; this was actually an anti-drug rally. I remembered seeing a flyer before, but I didn’t pay any attention to it. Chris’s mom wanted to stop at the rally to see how it was going before walking home. I stood there with her while holding little Bran in my arms.
As we stood there, I felt a squirt of water to the side of my face. Bran had one of those clear, colorful, tiny water guns. The kind you would find in a dollar store or in a bag of party favors. I quickly disarmed him and gave him a squirt back. The two of us were having fun, just laughing.
