John Choe, a Friend of Color, was arrested this past February. A member of the Quaker Coalition for Uprooting Racism, John was on his way to worship at Athens Friends Meeting at the time of his arrest. John served as the photographer at the 2024 Gathering of Friends and is a member of Flushing Friends Meeting (NY).

Over the past few months, a staff member from Friends General Conference has been in touch with John to hear how he’s doing. John now feels clear to share to FGC Friends about his arrest, detainment, and the path forward. Details are below.

Arrest

John was parked at a gas station in Clarke County, Georgia. It had been raining heavily that day, and he was waiting for the rain to subside. He was reading a book in the car.

A store clerk at the gas station contacted the police. The clerk asked for a wellness check for John. In body cam footage that was later released from the police, the clerk described feeling unsure because people often loiter outside of the gas station, and their purpose may be unclear. (A wellness check is a process to make sure a person is okay. When police respond to these calls, they are not serving as law enforcement.)

Men arrived at John’s car and knocked on the car window. John later learned that they were the police. The police accused him of trespassing and loitering.

John exited the car with his hands raised. “I saw men with guns and I feared for my life,” John said. As agencies such as the Police Brutality Center note: “Too many police welfare checks become confrontational, ending in violence and unnecessary death.” The Center adds: “Implicit bias and racial profiling can impact how officers conduct wellness checks. Implicit bias can affect how officers react to perceived threats, even when none exist.”

The officers interrogated John. They asked for his ID. He refused to provide it, noting that he had broken no rules or laws.

Then, the police arrested John. He was handcuffed and taken to the Clarke County Jail for trespassing.

Detainment

Once in jail, John noticed a constant focus on money. Cash was the first thing that people confiscated from him. “The cost of my bond and how much I had to pay to be released was a constant theme with the jail staff,” John said. “When I was discharged, the staff explained that I had to pay a fee to the Sheriff along with my bond, which had been reduced from $3,000 to $26 because they confirmed I had never been arrested.”

Within the jail cell, John met other men who were detained. Many people were arrested for tiny infractions, such as jaywalking or driving with tinted windows. John said: “They were not able to go to work, take care of family obligations, and other important duties… They had to pay extreme bond and cash bail requirements to get out of jail that day.” They waited in a cell that had feces and food scattered on the floor.

Vera.org, a collaboration of activists and researchers, asserts that “Close to half a million people across the country are trapped in jail before being convicted of a crime. They can’t afford to buy their freedom, forcing them to sit in jail while they await trial.” Unlike prisons, jails are spaces that hold people preceding a trial.

Later, John processed this experience of bail and detention. He recognized themes of both privilege and oppression in his experience. For one, he was able to pay the bail assigned to him. In spite of the traumatic experience, he viewed this as a form of privilege.

Release

John spent several hours in the jail cell. The experience was “frightening and stressful as well as eye-opening.” It gave him a first-hand view of “how both visitors and residents are treated” in the state of Georgia. John noted that “Throughout the many hours I spent in the jail, I was never offered any water or food.” Upon release, he thought that his car was impounded, or taken by authorities. He had no idea where he was and asked to be taken back to his car. That request was ignored.

John left the building with a Notice of Arraignment from the police. A Notice of Arraignment is a legal document. It requires someone to return to court and face a judge and prosecutor.  The Notice did not mention trespassing or loitering. Instead, it listed obstruction of law enforcement as the chief charge.

Practicing Resistance

“Obstruction of law enforcement” is one way to define John’s actions. Another way is nonviolent resistance.

“In some ways,” John said, “by complying with unlawful orders – when we’re stopped for no reason by police officers and they demand our identification, when no crime is taking place – we are contributing to a system that enables and encourages police to terrorize Black communities.” He drew connections between small acts of complicity and the larger power of police authority.

In an article in Waging Nonviolence, Sarah Freeman-Woolpert writes: “Systems of power do not only exist through coercion, but they are upheld by the tacit acceptance and cooperation of millions of people.” John refused to comply, knowing that there may be consequences. John said:

There is a sense within American society that police abuse (i.e., ‘law and order’) is the price of safety,” John said. “That white safety is only ensured with a draconian, carceral, punitive system that terrorizes people of color. I disagree with that premise. I actually don’t think it creates safety. It just gives people a perception that they’re safer.

In a future article, FGC will explore how John’s choices of resistance link to broader themes of democracy, noncompliance, voice, and power. If you would like to support John on his journey, you may write a letter of support or visit to his GoFundMe account. Letters of support may be sent directly to John at john@interfaith.nyc.