Brickbat: Don't Do the Crime

Samuel Scott Jr. has sued the city of Miami, Florida, and five police officers for false imprisonment and malicious prosecution. Scott's problems began when he called to report his car had been stolen. Police spotted the vehicle and gave chase. But the driver—described as a "Black male, bald, about 6'2″—crashed into another vehicle and escaped on foot. When cops arrived at Scott's home, they immediately began treating him as the suspect, even though he was dressed differently and four inches shorter than the suspect. They arrested him and charged him with leaving the scene of an accident, false reporting of a crime, failure to carry a concealed-weapon license, and possession of marijuana. The district attorney dropped all those charges.