A pair of TikTok videos illustrated the added difficulties endured by Black men trying to earn an honest living as locksmiths while working a job in a predominantly White neighborhood.
The first video, which has been viewed over 900 thousand times in less than a week, showed what happened when one of the locksmiths began recording the five police officers who came to the house, apparently responding to a call.
Rather than ask what was happening or ask to see a work order, a couple of the officers paced and stood around the yard with rifles at the ready.
The man behind the camera, TikToker @thereasonchi, refused to put his camera down even though one of the gun-wielding officers told him he didn't need to record.
The other officers all appeared to keep one hand resting on their holstered handguns as they assured the locksmiths they were just there to see what was going on.
The locksmiths repeatedly told the officers they were there to change the locks of the house, which had a realty sign in the yard.
There were also plenty of tools sitting on the front steps of the house.
@thereasonchi Visit TikTok to discover videos!
TikTokers were outraged the police rolled in with their weapons drawn and never put them away.
Michael Weidman/TikTok
arielle howard/TikTok
K O O K I E/TikTok
Enrique Sebastian/TikTok
William Cox/TikTok
A second video then showed the locksmiths and some of the officers standing awkwardly in the front yard as they waited for the other officers to look through the house and property.
A comment made by one of the locksmiths said it all.
"They're not used to Black people."
Eventually, the lead officer exited the house and asked the man filming for his ID.
At that point, the video cut out.
@thereasonchi Visit TikTok to discover videos!
TikTokers who saw the videos were appalled at the way the police handled the entire incident.
ImNotAContentCreator/TikTok
Ashton Heilig/TikTok
M.D/TikTok
Jus DeAngelo/TikTok
Kiva Horton/TikTok
The videos stand as yet another example of the added danger and struggle faced by Black people as the try to do completely legal, everyday things.
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