Filmmaker Almost Loses His Life to Officers While Shooting a Cop Scene in film Running on Faith.
Eights squads pull up and force Director Rafael Ragland, the Owner of So Grateful Films, to stop recording and drop his camera. The Scene requires an undercover cop to pull over a woman that he feels has wronged him. The "White Officer Actor" pulls the woman out of the car and places a gun to her head. With bible in had the woman closes her eyes and prepares for death. The Officer screams "Drop the Bible!". She refuses and puts her faith in God. End of Scene.
A nearby neighbor sees the rehearsal and police receive a call. Officers arrive ready to shoot. Dispatch has communicated that there is a gun on the scene and people are in danger. Squads roll down on Ragland with guns drawn telling him to stop filming and drop the camera. They won't answer if he's under arrest, they won't tell him what's this about, and as he tries to tell them that this is a scene for a film, Officer's get aggressive and cuff him. He tells them where the fake gun is but they won't listen. "Where's the third party with the gun?" "He's in the black sedan." Rafael says. "No, that's our undercover detective" the officer yells, and tells Rafael his is being detained because he's continuing to try and shoot a scene and not answering his questions. Rafael says, "No, that's my Actor. The Officer that your Officer's are talking to is my Actor." The Officer gets on his device and yells, "the third party is in the car and he has the gun." Suddenly the Officers that are conversing with this Actor, questioning him about where the guy with the gun has gone, now Officers have turn their guns on him.
This could have gotten Mr Ragland killed. His Actor killed, etc. Signs were everywhere showing this was a film shoot. Officers made the Actor strip and take off his uniform that was bought at a costume store, and they took the police lighting along with the air-gun. ---UNREAL! The only thing Amateur where the actions of this police department.
Please support our release "Running On Faith". Looking to show in Chicago soon but will be showing in Madison on October 12th. (Silver Cinemas: 6604 Odana Rd, Madison, WI 53719.
