As the country is, once again, being split into two sides over such a polarizing incident, everyone needs to acknowledge that this actually happened. There’s no denying that. An unarmed Walter Scott was murdered by a police officer on the job while presenting no immediate risk or danger to anyone.

The idea that police officers could kill you for no justifiable reason isn’t just a horror story that black parents tell their children before they go to sleep.This is a legitimate fear.

Shamefully so, being pulled over for “Driving While Black” (DWB) is an unfortunate rite of passage for many. Some may feel that poor relations between police officers and minorities are exaggerated, but this instance should serve as evidence that they’re based in factual experiences.

As a young black man that was recently pulled over no more than a month ago for a fictitious busted tail light while picking up a friend, I realize that there’s something bigger happening here.

I already viewed them differently. So that’s the day I went from feeling safe around police to being cautious.

The fact that I’m terrified to hear the words “I’m going to need for you to step out of the vehicle…” is warranted. My father telling me “It’s like you all are an endangered species out here…” is warranted. Hell, if I decided to get the phrase “Black Lives Matter” tattooed on my shoulder so I could point at it every time this happens it would be warranted.

What’s never warranted, however, is shooting unarmed citizens of this country that pose no threat.

– Keith Reid-Cleveland (@kreid_c)