by Recently Y posted the story of some friends of hers who
were detained by police for DWB -- driving
while black. Yesterday, an minister was
handcuffed by police for preaching while black.
Filed at 1:17 a.m. EST
By The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The Episcopal bishop of
Los Angeles expressed frustration with police
after a priest in full vestments was
handcuffed and detained just yards away from
his church.
The incident happened Jan. 7 as police
pursued two black men after reports that
someone was wielding a gun on a street
corner.
The Rev. Donald Culmer, who is black, stepped
out of his church after morning services and
confronted one of the men. Four police
officers surrounded both Culmer and the
suspect.
Culmer said he was ordered to drop to his
knees and handcuffed in front of his
parishioners.
``It is stunning to me that the police were
evidently not able to recognize the full
priestly vestments in which this priest was
dressed,'' Bishop Frederick Borsch said
Wednesday.
Culmer said he was released about two minutes
after he was handcuffed, after parishioners
and the church secretary told police they had
the wrong man. One officer was Asian, two
were Hispanic and one was American Indian.
``They dusted him off and sent him on his
way,'' said Los Angeles police Cmdr. David
Kalish. ``This does not appear to be a racial
incident, it was a police incident. But we
apologize for any misunderstandings or
embarrassments.''
The officers were operating under the
assumption that the suspect may have had time
to put the robes on, Kalish said.
``They didn't know who was who,'' Kalish
said.