I now had my hands up against a wall in a Downtown alley while a Metro officer patted me down for weapons. I’d complied because I wanted to calm what felt like an oddly hostile situation. Thiele said, “Spread your legs, and put your hands behind your back like you’re praying.” So I did as told. My hands outstretched behind my back, palms touching, I was put into a painful wrist hold. The officer searched the insides of my pockets, going as far as to dig two fingers into the coin pouch on the front of my jeans. I assumed they were looking for drugs, too, since rarely does a knife or gun fit into a change pocket. Thiele had my ID, but he also wanted my Social Security number so they could run a more comprehensive background check. All of this because I was caught jaywalking.