Black Lives Matter
A middle-aged man in a suit met him as he was shown into the conference room.
“Mr. Smith?”
“Yeah, I’m John Smith. Is this about the break-in at my house?”
“It is in a way.”
“The intruder is dead so what do you need me for?”
“If you will have a seat we can talk about that. Oh, I’m Assistant District Attorney Hayden.”
Smith sat down. “So what is this about?”
“What did you shout before you shot the intruder, Mr. Smith?”
“I didn’t shout anything.”
“You gave no warning, you just fired eight shots at the man.”
“He was in my fucking house with a crowbar, my wife and son were upstairs. I wasn’t giving him a chance to attack me.”
“You had a gun you could have told him to leave, but instead you shot him in the back.”
“Damn right I did as is my fucking right.”
“Well we spoke to your neighbors and two of them swear that just before the shots they heard you shout…” Hayden shuffled a few papers before pulling one out of the stack, “Die you fucking the ‘N’ word.”
“I never shouted that. I would never use the ‘N’ word.”
“I would like to believe you but with your history of racism…”
“What fucking history of racism?”
“Your neighbors, your white neighbors, and co-workers have said you like to tell racist jokes.”
“I’ve told a few jokes but they are all kinds I don’t just tell racist jokes.”
“Why do you only tell racist jokes to your white neighbors and co-workers?”
“What does it matter who I tell jokes to, the guy had broken into my house I had a right to shoot him.”
Hayden again looked through the papers. “It appears that all eight shots you fired were aimed to kill even the two you missed with seem to be intended as kill shots.”
“Damn straight. I was protecting my family.”
“So you admit you intended to kill that black man.”
“Y… Should I have a lawyer for this?”
“Do you think you need a lawyer, you say you did nothing wrong so why would you need a lawyer?”
Smith sat back and thought about the logic of the ADA’s argument. He was innocent so why bring a lawyer into it, but it did feel like they were attempting to hang some kind of crime on him. He wasn’t really worried it wasn’t like he gunned somebody down on the street and besides a lawyer would cost him.
“Ok I’m innocent, I was just defending my home and family so I don’t need a lawyer.”
“If you are sure do you mind signing this form, read it carefully just to be sure you understand it.”
Smith took the sheet of paper and began to read it. “This is that Mildred thing, that stuff cops read to suspects.”
“We just like anybody we interview to sign one. It is just a formality.”
Smith picked up the pen and signed it.
“Ok. Do you admit you intended to kill that black man when you crept downstairs with that loaded 9mm on the night of August 23rd?”
“I had no idea it was a black man, but I intended to do whatever it took to defend my family.”
“Why didn’t you just ask him to leave?”
“He broke in and had a crowbar. Do you honestly believe he would have left?”
“That is the problem isn’t it, we will never know. You decided to shoot a black man in the back like the racist coward you are.”
“I’m not a fucking racist.”
“By the time this case has come to court, you will look like the Grand Dragon of the KKK Mr. Smith. You will probably end up on death row if you are lucky, the prison is filled with black men. Now if you just admit what you did we could probably cut you a deal.”
“I admit I shot a man that broke into my house.”
“No Mr. Smith you killed a black man for no more reason than he was someplace you felt he shouldn’t be. Now either admit your guilt or I will make sure you rot in jail you racist piece of shit.”
