Lakeview Terrace: When The Oppressed Becomes The Oppressor

Posted by A.D. Odom on Jul 2, 2008 • 1,717 views • (0)

I was fascinated recently with an article I read in the Pasadena Star News entitled “Larry Wilson: New film not long on neighborly advice.” To be blunt, I had some preconceived notions about the officer in the article being white, not black. When I learned former LAPD officer Irsie Henry is an African American man who does not care for interracial couples, I then assumed he was much older than the 44-year-old I later learned about because of his 20 year career with the LAPD. I expected to read of a man in his late 50s, early 60s. I did not expect a 44-year-old man whom, during the time of the incidents described below, was in his late 30s.

Why the assumption on my part? Most of those I have known who either reacted negatively or violently toward interracial couples were always much older or white and again, this is based on my own personal observations, experience and conversations with those who acted out, at times unexpectedly, while in the presence of an interracial couple.

A new film currently set for release in September chronicles the true story of Mellanie and John Hamilton, an interracial couple here in Altadena, and former LAPD officer Irsie Henry. Officer Henry will be played by none other than Samuel L. Jackson — who better to play the part of the angry black man — in the film Lake View Terrace.

Unfortunately, the story here is tragic and began many years ago for some residents of Laurel Drive in Altadena. The residents complained to the Sheriff’s Department about LAPD Officer Irsie Henry, a man they said had been harassing interracial couples living nearby. His actions forced two couples to buy video cameras to keep him under surveillance.

Henry also lives on Laurel Drive and his next door neighbors are John and Mellanie Hamilton, an interracial couple. Henry allegedly “made no secret of his dislike for interracial couples.” As the couple armed themselves with video cameras, Henry did likewise. A bitter feud ensued filled with vindictive rhetoric and mutual restraining orders.

In November 2001, the Hamiltons and several others in the community wrote a letter to Henry’s supervisor at the LAPD. After some investigation, they received a letter from LAPD Chief William Bratton stating, “The investigation has gone through several levels of review including myself and the command staff of the Internal Affairs Group. The allegations of unbecoming conduct, discourtesy and ethnic remarks were classified as unfounded, which means the investigation indicated the act complained of did not occur.”

On July 12, 2005, Henry was arrested after an altercation with Michael Nerone, 42, another Laurel Drive resident who claimed that he was attacked by Henry on nearby Loma Alta Drive after the two men exchanged heated words. Nerone, who is white, also claimed Henry chastised him and his wife, Crystal, who is African American. The District Attorney’s Office considered it mutual combat, and no charges were filed against either man.

In 2005, Henry was dismissed from the LAPD after officials began taking the complaints of his neighbors seriously.

On January 11, 2007 because of his own video surveillance showing him spraying pepper spray on the back of Hamilton’s neck and arm, Henry was arrested, at court, while trying to extend a restraining order against his next-door neighbor John Hamilton. He was booked on a misdemeanor count of illegal use of a chemical agent.

Later in 2007, an emotionally distraught Henry was found guilty of two counts of contempt of court for violating a restraining order. Henry apparently slashed two tarpaulin sheets belonging to the Hamiltons which were installed to avoid confrontation with the former officer who allegedly had been throwing cigarette butts over a fence into their backyard.

To add insult to injury, Altadena Sheriff’s deputies interviewed the Hamiltons’ 12-year-old daughter on Aug. 24, 2007 and, according to the child and a neighbor, Crystal Nerone, Henry stood on his balcony flicking his tongue and simulating oral sex toward the pre-teen last May. This in turn added another charge to Henry.

On January 3, 2008 — yes, it has gone on this long — a warrant was issued for Henry’s arrest because he failed to show up for a hearing to determine whether he had violated any of the terms of a restraining order forcing him to stay away from John and Mellaine Hamilton.

There is much more to this story and I will add links to all of the sordid details below but, hate will eat you alive and to sleep with anger is to destroy yourself. This is truly a sad story. A 20-year vet with the LAPD was dismissed from his job because of this and a couple and their young child — including others in the community — have had to deal with the hatred of another and he is a black man. The oppressed has become the oppressor and he is using the Master’s tools. This is what strikes me more than anything, he is using the Master’s tools.

Henry has become so focused on the lives of the interracial couples in his community he now no longer has a life of his own. His life has become their lives and as a result, he has lost himself in the process.

I’m sure I will not be at the theaters to see this film because reading the articles written by Andre Coleman at the Pasadena Weekly have been much too painful to read. I’m not interested in being dragged further into this drama.

The film is scheduled for release on September 19th and hopefully by then nothing else will have happened.