Pelted With Bricks for 5 Days as a Rookie Cop — Cathy Lanier

The Mount Pleasant riots, which occurred on the speaker's first day as a rookie police officer, provided a stark introduction to policing. The incident began when officers attempted to arrest a Latino man for public drinking. The man, who didn't speak English, pulled a knife after one handcuff was applied, leading an officer to shoot him. The community, witnessing a handcuffed man being shot, quickly escalated into a large-scale riot with burning police cars, looting, and fires. Thrown into this chaotic environment, the speaker, Kathy Laneir, was given a gas mask and a riot stick, then deployed into a scene of thrown bottles and bricks. Lacking a radio, her lifeline was her partner. The five-day ordeal was a "trial by fire" and a significant learning experience. Laneir quickly understood the community's frustration, stemming from a lack of communication between the predominantly Spanish-speaking Latino population and the English-speaking police force. She observed a brute-force approach rather than an attempt to understand or resolve the underlying issues. This experience highlighted the critical importance of inclusion and communication in policing. Laneir realized that effective policing requires officers to embed themselves in the community, understand its people and needs, and communicate effectively. Despite being a rookie, she felt that the approach taken by the department was not the right way to solve the problem. This early experience shaped her perspective, fostering a desire to find better, problem-solving methods in her career, rather than relying solely on force. She found personal satisfaction in problem-solving and making a difference in people's lives, even in small ways.