b'COMMUNITYRing The Alarm By Kimbra Murray wasnothisothersonsnumberand,inaddition,Now,everydayisabattle.Weareconcerned that son did not reside with us. about our safety, and we watch our backs, 24-7. Our Stillatmyworkplaceandrapidlypanicking,lives have been uprooted.For my nephews safety W ednesday morning, October 21, 2020.I was atIofferedtocalltheunknownnumberwhiletheand peace of mind, he has now relocated out of state. work, and had been calling my brother.Thedetective stayed on the line.Instead, the detectiveBut thats not the end of this story. Ive reached phone had continued to ring, but no answer. declined, stating that she would call me back. outtoseveralcommunityproviders,suchasthe Overthirtyminuteslater,hepicksup.IcouldWith my anxiety going through the roof and hus- local chapter of the NAACP, several attorneys-at-law, hear him say to someone there, this is her now.tling to get out of the office as soon as possible, myeven the local state senator: all to no avail.I told him that his sons school had called me; hismindisgoingathousandmilesaminute,andIHowlongdowehavetowaitforjustice?This son [my nephew] was ill and needed to be pickedbegin to pray, Lord dont letincident happened over a month ago and still, there up.Theneverythingwentthe cops hurt my brother. has been no feedback.Does anyone care about us haywire. and our lives? So far, no one has showed up for my MybrotherinformedmeThe phone rings again. Itsfamilys justice.If it was your family, what would thattheAuroraPolicesthedetective:thepoliceareyou do and expect? SWATTeamwascurrentlyremovingthelap-topcom-in my house.SWAT team?puters from my home.HowWe are worthy. For what? isthatpossibleifImnotBecause we are ALL Gods children. there?Iquestionthedetec-The next voice on the phonetive,whoadmitsthatshes wasadetectivefromthenew to this; once again, she AuroraPoliceDepartment,will call me back.whoidentifiedherselfandAt this point, Im physically notified me that they had aand emotionally exhaustedwarrant to search my homeand hurrying, hurrying, hur-forsomeoneviewingchildrying to get home.The detec-pornography.tive finally calls back, stating According to the detective,thatthepolicewillNOTbe the police had gotten a pingtaking any lap-tops, or any-from my Wi-Fi, indicating tothing else out of your house themthatmynumberwas-andhangsup.Onthe beingusedtowatchviewway home, my brother calls child pornography. She thenme and tells me the Aurora readoffthephonenumberKimbra Murray Policehaveleft.Istarted and asked if I recognized it.thankingGodforprotecting FullyawarethataWi-Fimy family, and keeping them numbercanbehacked,Isafe and ALIVE! asked her to read it aloud.The number was unfa- ThefirstthingInoticeupongettinghome:the miliar to me.I inquired what had occurred whenhuge tire indentations in the lawn from the SWAT the Aurora police themselves had called the number. truck that had been parked on the grass. Inside, my Unbelievably, the police had not phoned it at all. brother and my nephew (who had gotten home from school) are both shaken and clearly bothered.I was incredulous.The Aurora Police SWAT teamMy brother told me what happened and to watch wascurrentlystandinginsideofmyhomewithathevideo,whichisheart-wrenching,humiliating, search warrantbut hadnt dialed the number interrifying, and sickening, to name a few. question?Their reasoning was suspect: they hadnt wanted to alarm anyone.The detective then sug- The policeman outside of my front door announc-gestedthatthenumberbelongedto[mysecondes, To the occupants of [our street address], this is nephew].Unbeknownsttome,mybrotherhadthe Aurora Police and we have a warrant for your already informed the police that the phone numberarrest.Come out with your hands in the air!Surrounding the house, eight or more SWAT and undercover Aurora Police officers paraded around. Another policeman is stationed at the top of a SWAT truck, with an AR-15 pointed at my front door.An officer runs towards my front door with the batter-ing ram, but thank goodness, the screen door was unlocked.More policeman are pointing AR-15s in my brother The phone rings again. Itsand nephews faces, handcuffing them and walking them outside to sit on the back of the SWAT vehicle, for very public displays of humiliation, and embar-the detective: the policerassment. My brother was shoeless.Imagine how they felt then - and how they still feel, are removing the lap-topright now?I wept at the picture of my loved ones sitting in handcuffs; I am still weeping.Stripped of computers from my home.their dignity and pride because of a mistake made bytheAuroraPoliceDepartment:Howdoweget How is that possible if Imthat back? How do we continue to fight for our rights when no one is listening?My brother worked with troubledyouthformanyyears,andstillmentors not there? I question thethem till this day.My nephew is working on his Masters degree as an educator, and coaches Little detective, who admits thatLeague football.They detained my family for at least an hour and shes new to this; oncea half.No arrests were made, no content taken out of my home, no apologies extended, with apparently again, she will call me back. no concerns of our rights being trampled.The safe feeling of being in our sanctuary: Gone.Our peace of mind: Gone.We are tired.We are overwhelmed.Our tears and pain not only represents our fam-ily, but represents other families that have lost loved ones or have encountered and challenged the police regarding their departmental wrongs.Yet somehow, it is we, the families that ultimately always pay!8 DECEMBER 2020 BOCNEWS.com'