you can say race didnt play a role but it may have as well.
if you have watched straight outta comptom...there is a scene where the cop is black and he is harassing the guys outside their recording studio calling them the n word etc and making assumptions they are criminals cause they are in a wealthier part of town.
black cops can be racist to...even against other black people.
sounds absurd but racial profiling happens all the time.
i was listening to a prominent black journalist who also mentioned that black cops can be biased and bigots even against other black people.
just saying.