Just another day

Hi my name is Imani and this is the story about how my life changed forever. To set the scene I am a 12 year old African American female who lives with both her mom and dad in Los Angeles California. 

    It was a day like any other day where my dad would pick me up from school, and ask me, “how was your day, anything interesting happened”? I responded as I normally do “nope nothing happened just boring school.” But something was different about this day we were driving home as usual when a cop started driving behind us. It was scary because dad and I have had conversations about the police and what to do when you're pulled over and how to speak. I had my seat belt on and so did dad. Nothing seemed wrong until he was pulled over. 

    There were 2 cops, one came to dad's side and one came to mine. They asked dad for his license and registration. He spoke calm and told the cop everything that he was doing as he did it. He gave them the stuff and they told him to get out of the car. He asked “if everything was okay.” They did  not answer him but instead said get out the car. I was getting more and more scared so I took out my phone and started recording. The cop yelled at me to put my phone away and stop recording and when I looked over he had a gun out. I screamed and threw my phone on the floor. He yelled at me to get out and I did. I was shaking I was so scared and my dad was trying to calm me down with his words he said “it's going to be okay baby girl you will be fine just listen to the cops.” But as he was trying to walk towards me the cop was yelling “DON’T MOVE, DON’T MOVE, and my dad said “ I just want” BOOM.  

    The next thing I know my dad is lying on the ground in a pool of blood and he's not talking anymore. I scream out in pain and start yelling “DAD, DAD, SAY SOMETHING.” He doesn't say anything and doesn't move. The cops both look scared at this point and one calls the ambulance. I want to kick and scream and call my mom but I can't move. I don't know what is wrong with me but my body freezes in place. I feel stiff as a board and stuck in place. 

    What seemed like 5 hours later the ambulance showed up and they take my dad with them. I go with them because I don't want to leave him. They call my mom at the hospital and take my dad away. When my mom shows up I just cry in her arms, she asks me so many questions but I cant get one word out. I feel helpless and so sad. When the doctor comes out to deliver what feels like the worst news ever his words catch me by surprise he says “Your husband is alive but in pretty bad condition. He is in a coma but has made it through surgery.” I look at my mom and the tears fade. I am so happy to hear dad is alive that I want to run in and give him the biggest hug ever. But when I go through that door what I see makes the sadness come right back. I see him in there with all these tubes inside his nose and mouth and the loud noises from the machines are something out of a space movie. I look at mom who is crying but only a little. 

    After some time sitting with dad and talking to him just laying there a cop shows up. I get so mad my head feels like there is smoke coming out of it. He says that he has a few questions and asks mom if it would be okay to ask them. She looks at me and says you don't have to answer them if you don't feel comfortable. I say “NO I want them to know what happened to my dad.” I talk to the cop and he seems mad at me for some reason. I go over the story with him and he says “Did you dad have a gun, was he part of a gang?” I look at him and say “No my dad is a good dad and he would never.”

After a few days dad still doesn’t wake up, the doctors have been talking to mom non stop and now grandma and grandpa are here. Mom walks over to us in the waiting room chairs and comes to me. She says “Your dad loved you very much, and you were so brave to tell the police everything, but he's not getting any better and we have to let him go.” “NO”, I scream, “we can't give up on him mom he's going to get better I just know it.” Sadly, even after all of my pleas, and cries mom decided she had to let him go and just like that he was gone.”

Months went by and I just felt sad. I went through all the motions to keep mom happy but I hated life, and most of all I hated the cops. We had to go to court a few times because of what happened but after everything they did to my dad and me, nothing happened. They said that they knew my dad had a gun and that he was going to shoot the cop. I was so mad I could have killed everyone in court. I was so angry I wanted to scream from the top of the mountain. Mom tried to keep a happy face for me but I knew she was so hurt. I felt helpless once again because what could I, a 12 year old girl do? What can any of us do?