Police brutality is a recurring issue that unfortunately affects many Black people. To bring attention to the problem, organizations and well-known A-listers have been using their platforms to mourn the lives lost at the hands of officers and denounce police misconduct. At the 2021 Grammys, Lil Baby’s performance of “The Bigger Picture” touched on the topic. More recently, Romeo Miller recalled his harrowing experience with a Los Angeles cop a few years back.
“The most recent time, I was at UCLA,” Miller said during an episode of his talk show, “The Mix.” “UCLA, you get pulled over over there, you better have that camera recording ‘cause they don’t play no games. But the guy pulled me over at gunpoint. Black cop. And he was like, ‘Is this a stolen vehicle?’ I’m like, ‘Bro, relax. Just come check out my registration, and get my driver’s license.’”
According to Miller, the officer repeated his question a second time before realizing who he was. “And then, when he saw it was me, [he said], ‘Oh, Romeo Miller. Oh, you good. I thought you was just some random Black dude.’”
Though he’s relieved that he was able to walk away, Miller expressed his concern for other Black people, including his younger siblings.
“The scary thing for me is, it’s scary because my brother—I don’t care, you don’t have to be no random Black dude,” he said on the show. “My brothers ain’t famous. They bigger than me. They six-four, six-five.”
Romeo’s story comes days after actor Michael Rainey shared his own encounter with police. In a recent Instagram post, the “Power” star said that he was pulled over for an alleged traffic stop and claimed that his decision to film the cop with his camera prevented things from taking a turn for the worse.
“This guy was bout to shoot me I swear that camera saved my life,” Rainey wrote. “Look what he does as soon as he looks into the lens. Someone please send me his precinct or whatever if you know. These power tripping ass police need they badge taken. Unlawful traffic stop.”