If Brad Parscale Were Black, Would He Still Be Alive?

Police were called to the home of former Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale. His wife reported that he had a gun and was threatening to hurt himself. Normally I wouldn’t want to comment on personal mental health issues but given the current social environment, how this all went down deserves some consideration.

Fort Lauderdale police confiscated 10 guns Sunday from the home of President Donald Trump’s former reelection campaign manager after his wife told them he was suicidal, hits her, and racked and loaded a handgun during an argument, according to newly released police reports.

Brad Parscale, 44, was involuntarily hospitalized under Florida’s Baker Act by officers and taken to Broward Health Medical Center Sunday after barricading himself in the $2.4 million home he shares in Fort Lauderdale’s Seven Isles with his wife, Candice. In reports released Monday, police documented a tense scene in which Parscale — after possibly firing a shot inside his house — refused to leave and was ultimately tackled by SWAT officers on his driveway when he emerged shirtless with a beer in his hand.

I initiated a double leg take down,” wrote Sgt. Matthew Moceri, one of the responding officers, noting that the 6-foot-8-inch Parscale towered over him and ignored his commands to get down.

…a member of the department who considers Parscale to be a friend came to the home, spoke to him by phone and convinced him to come outside and talk. After Parscale was tackled and handcuffed, police reported removing two shotguns, two rifles, a .22 caliber revolver and five handguns from the home.

This is how I would expect a situation like this to be handled by police…but if Brad Parscale had been Black, would this have been the outcome or would have police shot and possibly killed him? And just as a reminder, the right often says that nothing would go wrong if the suspect had only followed police commands…well Mr. Parscale didn’t…and he wasn’t shot. This might have ended quite differently…if Mr.Parscale weren’t white.

And let’s hope that Mr. Parscale gets the mental health care that he needs to recover his life. Hopefully his insurance covers that.

Share:

Related Articles