Police Harassment of African Americans

Re “Teen Denies Provoking Police Jabs,” July 31: I am a white man who has lived with a black person for nearly 20 years. I have seen the background features of this Inglewood incident--the teen being told to drop his potato chips, five officers involved, handcuffing for an expired license check--countless times with my roommate, his family and friends. The enormous show of force by the officers, who it seems weren’t otherwise paying attention to anything going on, has never happened to me or my family. But it’s a fact of life to the black people I am involved with. There’s just usually nobody around with a camera.

Bob Burket

Los Angeles

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Judge Tells of Police Forcing Her to Pavement,” your July 31 article on Alotha C. Willis, the African American judge from Virginia being manhandled by LAPD officers, absolutely infuriated me. I am wondering if Willis had been white, would she have found herself shackled, face down, on that burning asphalt. I think not.

Ed Belew

Highland Park