Woman records viral video of officer pointing gun at black man: ‘It’s not worth dying for’

A Washington, D.C., woman named Grace Maria says she was on her way to work when she came across a police officer pointing a gun at a black man near Union Station. 

Maria told news website Circa that she immediately took out her phone to film the encounter, which went viral this week. In the video, she can be heard urging the man named Anthony, who is homeless, to comply with the officer’s demands, saying, “It’s not worth dying for.” 

{mosads}The officer in the recording waves his gun at Anthony and tells him to get on the ground. 

“I ain’t doing nothing to nobody,” Anthony says to Maria as he cries. “You saw me sleeping, right?” 

I literally think I just saved someone’s life… I’m shaking y’all… pic.twitter.com/9udZ1a1lu9

— Infinite Grace (@_Guccigracee) November 7, 2018

“He has knives,” the officer said to Maria, who continued recording.

“I don’t have knives,” Anthony replied. 

As the officer continued to yell, Maria got closer to Anthony, saying, “Hey, bruh, just get on the ground. Don’t die. It’s not worth dying for. Just get on the ground.” 

When Anthony lies on the ground, the officer, joined by another apparent member of law enforcement, demands that he “roll over.”

“It’s not worth dying for,” Maria repeats as she helps Anthony fold his arms behind his back. “They killing us out here. This shit is not worth dying for.” 

Maria later posted on Twitter, saying, “I literally think I just saved someone’s life… I’m shaking y’all…” 

After the incident Wednesday, the woman launched a GoFundMe campaign for Anthony, who she describes as being “in his early 20s and homeless.” 

As of Thursday afternoon, the crowdfunding page already raised more than $10,000, surpassing its $6,000 goal.

“Please consider donating whatever you can to help out the young man in this video,” Maria wrote as the page’s description. “He sleeps in Union Station and his mother passed away from colon cancer. His name is Anthony and I saved his life today while I was coming back from work.”

“Anthony wants his own place and hopes to open up an orphanage one day and to also start a feeding program,” she added. “Anthony almost lost his life today but I’m glad that he didn’t. His life matters.” 

Anthony was featured in a video from nonprofit advocacy organization Invisible People earlier this year, as first reported by Heavy.com. 

In the video, he described having been homeless for two years. He said he wanted to buy his own place, but added the outreach programs he has interacted with “don’t give us enough information that we need to really get us on our own two feet.”

“I’m trying to get back on my two feet and be able to take care of myself,” he said.