What, exactly, did he expect?

I look as if my ancestors were from northern Europe.  I am sixty-three years old.  I often wear a suit, but I never wear gang-related clothing.  I work in a prosecutor's office.

When I am stopped by the police - and sometimes I am - I am afraid of the police officer.

He wears a uniform and I don't.  He wears a badge and I don't.  He carries a gun and I don't.  He is trained in the use of force and I am not.  He has the power to arrest me and I don't have the power to arrest him.  His story will probably be believed and mine, if it differs from his in any way, probably won't be.  He may lie and I won't.

Of course, I am afraid of him.  I ought to be.  And, so, I treat him with the utmost respect and courtesy, even when I think he's wrong and I'm right.

If I had robbed a store, if I were walking down the middle of the street, if a police officer told me to get out of the street and I refused, if I cursed at the police officer, if I reached into the officer's patrol car, if I struck the officer twice in the face with my fist, if I tried to get control of the officer's gun, I'd expect to get shot.  I would be surprised if the police officer didn't try to shoot me.

I look as if my ancestors were from northern Europe.  I am sixty-three years old.  I often wear a suit, but I never wear gang-related clothing.  I work in a prosecutor's office.  And I would expect to be shot by the police officer if I did all those things.

I'm not saying that the police always treat people who look as if their ancestors were from sub-Saharan Africa properly.  They don't.  They should.  I'm sure there are cases of police violence against people who look like their ancestors came from sub-Saharan Africa that would justify righteous indignation.  But, the shooting of Michael Brown is not one of them.

If I did all the things he did, I'd expect the police officer to try to shoot me, regardless of what I looked like.  What, exactly, did he expect?