He paid for them in full. So, whatever other suspicious reason you have is not enough to arrest him." Pierce's face flushed red, and his jaw tightened. He took a step toward Ryan, leaving Khalil standing on the sidewalk still in handcuffs, and his voice got louder and more aggressive. "I won't repeat myself again.
Leave here now, or you'll be getting arrested as well." Pierce grabbed Ryan by the collar of his shirt and pulled him close enough that their faces were only inches apart. Then he reached out with his other hand, snatched Ryan's phone out of his grip, and stopped the recording. He tapped the screen a few times, deleted the video, and then shoved the phone back into Ryan's chest hard enough to make him stumble backward. Ryan caught his balance and looked Pierce directly in the eye, and his voice came out calm but deadly serious.
"Seems like you don't know who our store owner is." Pierce's grip on Ryan's collar loosened slightly, but his expression stayed aggressive. "I don't care who your boss is. This doesn't concern him." Ryan's voice stayed steady.
"His name is David Coleman, very wealthy, very respected, a black man who has spent years fighting for black lives, especially when it comes to his businesses. He doesn't stand for racism. He's taken down a lot of racist cops over the years, big cases, expensive lawsuits. And if you dare arrest this boy for something he didn't do, you'll be hearing from him." Pierce's face went pale.
He knew the name David Coleman. Everyone in the department knew that name. Coleman had sued the police department twice in the past 5 years, and both times the cases had resulted in officers being fired and the city paying out six-figure settlements. Coleman owned multiple businesses across the city, and he had a reputation for using his money and influence to hold law enforcement accountable when they crossed the line. Pierce let go of Ryan's collar and took a step back.