The representation of black males is a negative one. The police in this scene are harassing the black citizens who live in that area without reason. This reinforces the negative stereotype that people have of black people as they are seen to be at the lowest position in society and even the police are abusing their power to harass them. All the officers in this scene are white males and those who are getting arrested are all black African Americans who live on that road they're being searched on due to suspicion of inappropriate behaviour because of the colour of their skin.
Throughout the scene the jackets that the police are wearing have 'police' printed on the back in yellow which makes it visible for the audience to see that the ones who are in authority are clearly the ones who are abusing their power and arresting the civilians. The clothing that the black males are wearing would be seen as 'gang clothing' which is probably part of the reason they're being searched or because they were in a large group and the officers felt like it was a threat to society or themselves so they felt the need to harass the males.
As soon as Ice Cube steps outside of the house the blue and red lights from the police cars were shining on his face and were visible throughout the whole scene which highlights the dominance that they have in the situation. The lights are an indication of the authority that they have and when it flashes onto those who live on the street and being arrested, it shows that their dominance is something that cannot be escaped because of the authority and status they have. When Ice Cube leaves the house you can't see his face due to the scene being set at night and the hat he's wearing. As soon as the lights start to flash his face becomes visible and the closer he gets towards the police the more he light flashes onto his face before they recognise he's black and start to search him. The impact this shows is that as soon as you're in the range of the police and they see the colour of your skin you're automatically a suspect. The area that the scene was shot in was run down and the colours were dull, the only colours that stood out throughout the whole scene was the red and blue which was visible everywhere. Even though the police are meant to keep us safe they also attack the innocent due to the colour of their skin and this can be seen with the colour scheme where the colours of the houses and cars are all dark which could be the black Africa Americans and then the police come who empower the area with their red and blue lights the same way they arrest people who are black due to the colour of their skin.
The lighting in this scene is low-key; this is done so that we can't see the identity of the police officers who are. This reinforces the stereotype that we have of the police when arresting those who are black due to the colour of their skin and is done during the night so we can't see who the officers are because they want to keep their identity discrete.
Dyer suggested that stereotypes are always about power and during this scene it is to do with power and race. People in America who are black are seen to have no power or status in the eyes of those who are white which is why the police officers who are white have all the power and reinforces this stereotype that the police have. It also reinforces the power that those who are black have which is having no power or respect which is why during this scene they're being searched by the police and have no respect given towards them. This can be seen during the scene where the police officer is reaching for the gun which highlights the power and dominance that they have in society and the gun reinforces this as he can decided who gets to live and die which is acknowledged as the power of God.
Police harassment scene when N.W.A are outside of the studio.
In this scene the group of males are standing outside of the studio where the police come and start to harass them. During this there isn't only white police officers there is also one black one. The group of males are seen to be wearing gang related clothes such as the hats, jeans, jackets and their overall appearance and because of this are being searched whereas the officers are in uniform and are appear as being professional. This would show the audience the difference between the two types of groups in this scene but could also highlight the age of them as the group of males are in their teens which is why they appear this way. The way they appear is a stereotypical way for being apart of a gang which is why it conforms to the negative stereotype of black males in America.
The black police officer is seen to be a sell out as he's conforming to the ideology of the police and turning on his own kind. The hatred can be seen on the faces of the group of males when they're walking back into the studio. One of the males also called the police officer a "sell out" which highlights the hatred for black officers being worse than white officers as they are victimising their own people who are stereotyped due to the colour of their skin.
Some people have been victim to racism in the past and therefore see themselves as one of the characters which are in this scene right now. This links to Blumer and Katz theory of uses and gratification. The audience would see a character which relates to them and will see themselves to have a connection with thay individual. In this case it would be someone relating to the group of black males and someone who experienced racism but could also be a police officer viewing themselves in this scene as well.
When the males were on the floor the camera angles were low and close up shots of their faces. This was done so we can see how the characters are feeling but also the low camera angle is down to show that they're the ones who are vulnerable in this situation against the police as they have no power due to this being restricted by the authority. The high camera angles are shot for the police to highlight their dominant position in the scenario and society because they're the ones who reinforce the law.
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