Jennifer Okosi believes she may well have saved her own life by recording a "Karen" in action during a case of apparent road rage in Holland, Illinois.
The two women were both driving. During a traffic incident that did not involve an accident, the "Karen" called Jennifer a racial slur.
With Jen now recording, the woman then drove to the police to file a report against her.
Once the two got to the station, the woman got out of her car and started to walk inside with Jen right behind her recording and narrating what was happening.
Jennifer posted the confrontation on Twitter.
So this happened to me yesterday where I live in south Holland, IL. Karen calls me a nigger then drives to the police for help. This lady could've mad a false report that could've led to my death. Pulling an Amy Cooper is illega. Share #YouAboutToLoseYoJob pic.twitter.com/IAWSK1Rihb
— J E N O K O S I (@JENuine_Draft) June 11, 2020
In the video above, the woman turns around to yell at Jennifer for a moment, saying:
"I'm sorry. I-I-I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything. I'm sorry for the looting. I'm sorry for EVERYTHING. What do you want from me?"
Jen asks her—not for the first time—why she called her the n-word, to which the woman offers two reasons.
First, she tells Jennifer that she called her the n-word because she passed her while driving. Then she says it was because she is "So fed up with all this sh*t."
When Jennifer responds the woman throws her hands in the air, turns and enters the police station.
Once inside, the woman's demeanor visibly changes immediately.
The previously loud and confrontational woman from outside the police station begins sobbing, and appears meek and in distress. Experts have long discussed "weaponized White women's tears" and many cite this video and footage of Amy Cooper's demeanor change while speaking to police during her encounter in Central Park as examples.
When all else fails, the fake tears instinctively just pop up. #KarenChronicles
— jideogunba (@Jydough) June 12, 2020
Funny how she's just like the rest of them online. They want to play the victim card and act like somehow they're the victim when they're the aggressors and racists.
— Ryan Pham (@rpham15) June 13, 2020
The White woman walks up to the counter in the police station and pleads for help in a much softer, trembling voice.
"Please, I can't take this anymore..."
The person asks if she needs an officer at which point Jen speaks up and delivers her summary of the situation.
Jen states:
"No, she called me a ni**er and then she drove here to cry. So that's what we're dealing with."
The woman defends her use of the slur, telling the person that Jen passed her on the left.
She then tells the person that she saw videos of the looting and can't take any more. She did not say she witnessed Jennifer looting, only that looting had happened.
Jennifer asks if she really thinks it's okay to call someone a racial slur because you're tired of looting, to which the woman emphatically declares yes. She adds "you guys" call one another the n-word all the time.
Jen reminds the woman she is on camera as the "White lady who called someone a ni**er." She also reminds the woman what year it is, calls her pathetic and tells her to go ahead and get her police officer and tell them whatever she's going to tell them.
The woman—running her hands through her hair—complains she just can't take it anymore and she is so tired of everything. Jen tells the woman that she's tired, too.
Whew. The fragility and tears on cue is infuriating. Imagine being so casually vicious you'll call a Black woman the n-word, but then feign helplessness in front of the police when called out on it. Despicable. 💯
— Melanie 🇵🇦 Says People Get Ready 2020 (@JoyRoseM) June 12, 2020
Got to the window and IMMEDIATELY turned on the tears
— Gravy Vampire (@hippo_named_Dan) June 12, 2020
Actually, the tears were genuine because she felt she had finally gotten to her safe spot and the cops would come to her rescue. She could finally let go of all that pent up frustration of having to watch all those people protesting her privilege to be a racist.
— PBlantar☯️ (@Wiyanna43) June 12, 2020
The woman continues the wringing and pseudo-sobbing, at one point even putting her head down on the countertop in front of her. Jennifer again encourages the woman to go ahead and file whatever she was going to file, Jennifer has video and has the time today to file whatever she needs to about the racial slur, false report, etc.
This kindof Victimhood killed Emmett Till & many more. Crying when you get a taste of your own medicine; running to the police😒 She can't take the looting and not being able to say N to a black person & not get called out for.Hope she got booked for hate crime. She admitted it
— AHHHHH (@Adamantium1) June 12, 2020
The woman leaves the police station and the video ends.
People were flabbergasted, but not surprised.
I know this isn't the point, but was she trying to say she was mad at you for passing her in the left? Isn't that how you are supposed to pass? She was trying to get you killed. You handled this beautifully and bravely and she can eat shit.
— Holly Figueroa O'Reilly (@AynRandPaulRyan) June 12, 2020
That's.... literally what the left lane is for. Passing/faster moving traffic. pic.twitter.com/7pTQ4gmvqa
— Erin Go Blah (@cynical_ahole) June 12, 2020
There is also the lovely, "I saw the lootings...", which has to do with passing on the left why🤔?
— Anne Lindo (@Telatubbies1) June 12, 2020
Some took issue with Jennifer's handling of the situation, but it was clear nobody was at all impressed with "Karen."
The racial slur is dead wrong but what do we suppose caused this old lady to go to the police station? Prolly cuz the woman with the phone followed her around after the slur, so the old lady went to the police station fearing she might be about to get assaulted. Be realistic.
— Thad Eley (@realThadEley) June 12, 2020
don't use hate speech if you don't want to be followed and recorded afterward, it's that simple
— there is no planet beef (@walter_brando) June 12, 2020
pic.twitter.com/8SxBUHZFvu
— Vass ✿ ACAB (@VassalaRasurr) June 12, 2020
Its 2020. We have Amy Cooper calling cops on a black man, Tammy asking a Latina to go back to their own country, Some Karen asking a group of people to play "ENGLISH" music, and we now have Thad here, projecting on why that racist piece of old s**t went to the police station. pic.twitter.com/WsTWh00lgF
— Andrew Karen Scheer (@american_scheer) June 12, 2020
Your actually harassing her at this point
— CC 🇺🇸⭐️ (@Fierce1_) June 12, 2020
I think when Karen decided to go to the police station to make a police report there was no option but to follow her there so it wasn't one-sided. And she has the right to be pissed off at being called the "N" word by this privileged white lady.
— M. Ann E. (@LindyLawyer) June 14, 2020
However most people felt Jen handled the situation perfectly.
I am SO sorry that you got hit with that ugliness. But you handled it beautifully. When she whined yet again about being so "tired of all this," your admonition to her that black people have been tired for 400 years was PRICELESS. Thank you for this share.
— Frances Kimball (@FrancesMKimball) June 12, 2020
Every answer was spot on but, “lady I got time today“ was perfect.
— Love, Jennifer (@lurvejennifer) June 12, 2020
We do not know if the woman returned later and filed a report or what she would have filed the report over.
@clare_baby05/Instagram
@matteaing/Instagram
@nowaythisismoney/Instagram
@tifff847/Instagram
@thisiserina/Instagram
@empow51/Instagram
@sruvaneslp/Instagram
@amandaakay/Instagram
@ashglowsup/Instagram
@arielle.fears/Instagram
@mindsetmatters_with_lila/Instagram
@montanadragonfly79/Instagram
@sarahoconnellshow.com/Bluesky