The woman was around the corner and out of sight, but Harmony’s door was right there.There was clearly another way into the building if the woman came from the other direction.Was she leaving Harmony’s apartment?Did she hurt Harmony?
Damien’s mind echoed with the questions as he raised his hand to knock on Harmony’s door.“Harmony.It’s Damien.Are you okay?”
No answer came from inside the unit.
“Harmony, I’m coming in whether you open the door or not.I need to know you’re okay.”Damien had his phone out and dialed her number.“Answer the phone at least.Come on, Harmony.”
“Police!Freeze!”came from behind him.
“Fuck,” Damien whispered.
“Show us your hands!”a second voice said.
“I’m unarmed.I have a phone in my hand.I am going to turn around slowly.”Damien detailed his actions to the cops, knowing how the situation looked.
Two cops hid around the corner that led to the stairs he’d come up minutes ago.Their guns were pointed at him.
“My name is Damien Joseph.I called Captain Marcus Patrick to ask for backup for a wellness check on the woman inside this apartment.I have not been able to get her on the phone or to answer the door.”
“There was a woman running out of the building who said a man matching your description was threatening her and her friend.She ran, but you chased her friend and had her cornered in her apartment.”
“That’s the woman I was trying to find,” Damien growled.“Can you please check on Harmony?”
“Do you have any weapons?”
“No.I don’t have anything on me.”Damien held his hands up high, his phone visible in his right hand.The woman who led him there was good.She turned him into a suspect twice in less than an hour and got away.
“Turn around and put your hands on the wall.”
Damien groaned and did as he was told.He wanted to fight the injustice of it.A Black man being detained for no reason.One of them snapped the cuffs on him and patted him down, taking his phone away, and the other cop knocked on Harmony’s door.
“This is the police department.If you do not answer the door, we will come in.This is a wellness check.”
The door finally opened, and Harmony stood there, looking scared but safe.“Are you Ms.Gibbs?”
Harmony nodded and looked at Damien.“Why is he in handcuffs?”
“He was trying to break into your apartment.”
“No, he wasn’t.There was a woman.She…” Harmony looked at Damien.“She cornered me at the restaurant, then followed me here.”
“Did she hurt you?”Damien asked.
Harmony shook her head as the cops barked at Damien to be quiet.
“Was this man threatening you?”the cop who had him in handcuffs asked.
“No.Damien did nothing to hurt me or threaten me.Why would you think that?”
The cops looked at each other.“We were told he did.”
“By the woman who came after you.She was near your door when I turned the corner,” Damien said.
“What?She got inside?”Harmony wrapped her arms around herself and took a step into her apartment.
“Officers,” Captain Patrick barked from behind Damien.“What the hell is going on here?”
“We caught him trying to break into her apartment,” the first officer said.
