Watch: Oakland Deputy Questions Black Man Walking with Hands in Pockets

An African-American from Pontiac, out for a walk during freezing weather on Thanksgiving Day, was questioned by a sheriff’s deputy who said the man was making people nervous because he had his hands in his pockets.

The man, Brandon McKean, posted a video on YouTube that has since been picked up by The Daily Kos, Raw Story, Slate and other news outlets. McKean also posted the video on his Facebook page with the following comment:

“Just got stopped Walking BECAUSE MY HANDS WERE IN MY POCKETS ....... POLICE STATE.”

The video has been shared nearly 60,000 times from Facebook alone.

The officer, a deputy with the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, said he was obligated to check out the report because of the number of robberies that have occurred recently in Pontiac. The exchange ended with a high-five, but McKean said he was frustrated by the situation in light of growing tensions with police departments across the country.

McKean said he captured the exchange on video for his protection and the officer’s. The video begins with McKean asking the deputy why he was being stopped and includes the following exchange:

Deputy: You were walking by.

McKean: OK.

Deputy: (speaking to dispatch) Radio, close out that (unintelligible)

McKean: Walking by and doing what?

Deputy: Well, you were making people nervous.

McKean: By walking by?

Deputy: Yeah, they said you had your hands in your pockets.

McKean: Wow. Walking by having your hands in your pockets makes people nervous to call the police? When it’s snowing outside?

Deputy: They did.

McKean: OK

Deputy: So are you OK?

McKean: I’m fine. How ‘bout you?

Deputy: I’m good.

McKean: All right.

Deputy: What are you up to today?

McKean: Walking with my hands in my pockets. Walking.

Deputy: Is that an inconvenience to talk to me right now?

McKean: Hell yeah, just because of the whole police situation going across the country. This is outrageous that you would let somebody tell you, ”Oh, there’s somebody walking down the street with their hands in their pockets.” There’s 10,000 people in Pontiac right now with their hands in their pockets, so how many ...

Deputy: You’re right, but we do have a lot of robberies, so I‘m just checking on you.

McKean: Wow.

Deputy: You’re fine, you’re good.

McKean: That’s fine, I just, you know, I had to make sure I get this on camera, for my safety and for yours. I’m being very respectable, you’re being very respectable.

Deputy: High-five.

McKean: The whole situation I don’t like. … I’m really mad at the whole situation and whoever called. That’s crazy.

Deputy: Hey, we’ve got to check it out, (unintelligible) making people nervous. You call us, we check on it ...

McKean: For sure, but I just would never call …

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Screenshot: YouTube video