A young white dad goes off on an older white man, who is not a security official, wearing a “pistol and two sets of handcuffs,” while yelling at and shooing away mostly black kids playing in a Tacoma apartment complex courtyard.
Described as a “racist,” the older man has an alleged history of hassling kids, complaining to management, and, “throwing dog poop” at neighbors.
A fellow complex resident of the Monterra Apartment Homes in Tacoma, Washington, films the interaction between Nick Kitchen, dubbed “Highlighter Shirt” man or “Highlighter Guy” — because he is wearing a neon-color shirt, and the older armed white man.
Kitchen says he knows all the kids playing in the complex courtyard and yells at the man known from unit “K101.”
In several videos that document what happened, and posted to Twitter by user ‘Almost Done,’ whose irl name is Samuel Lahn, a US Army vet and YouTuber, the series begins with Nick Kitchen telling the man off, and subsequent short videos of an interview with apartment complex management, and follow-up with Kitchen.
With more than 2 million views, the across-the-board sentiment is that Nick Kitchen is an “ally” of the Black community.
Welcome to the Cookout™ Highlighter shirt!
And is definitely invited to the BBQ.
But apartment complex management says kids are “out of control” and plan to put a cop in the courtyard and “shut it down.”
Here’s what you need to know:
Dad Nick Kitchen Confronts a Middle-Aged Armed White Man Yelling at Kids Playing in Apartment Courtyard
“Keep on playing kids! Nah, keep on playing,” Nick yells. “All of y’all keep on playing. I know every single one of y’all live here! So please sir, step away if you don’t live here.”
The man protests that he has not been at the kids and Nick Kitchen corrects him, saying that the man has been harassing and shooing the kids away when they are playing in the complex’ interior yard. Kitchen walks the length of the yard and tells the man they kids can play anywhere they want in the area.
“You only own your porch!” in an apartment complex, he screams at the man. “From there on out, it’s free game.”
‘This Guy is Nothing But Trouble,’ Kitchen Said of the Man With a Pistol & Handcuffs
Nick Kitchen says he and his family have lived there and his kids also play there “before this old guy came in.”
“Now, if you want peace and quiet, that’s fine, you should have gotten it at a 55 and older,” he said.
He also corrected an alleged complaint by the man to apartment management that kids threw something at his window. Nick Kitchen said that was an adult couple throwing a Frisbee that hit his window and was blamed on the kids.
“This guy is nothing but trouble,” he said.
And, Kitchen said that now, the complex will not renew his and his family’s lease based on his complaints about the man.
@_SamuelLahn It’s funny how the white guy that stepped up to do the right thing is now suddenly told he can’t renew his lease.
Very interesting…
The Manager Says K101 Didn’t Use Racial Slurs & That ‘Kids Are Out of Control’ so She’s Getting a ‘Police Officer to Sit in That Yard & Shut it Down’
Lahn wrote that since he “believe(s) in hearing both sides of a story,” went to the management office of the apartment complex “after work to hear what the manager had to say about the situation.”
The woman, says that the kids in the complex destroy property. She claims the children playing in the complex has led management and others to have had to call police. And says that she will “have a police officer come out and sit in that yard and shut it down.”
“…she discussed having police coming to shut down the area bc of the kids and the abuse of the property. More to follow. Imma post some with highlighter and the kids to hear their side next!”
But some on Twitter noted that the threats to shut down access to that yard may violate the law.
“If the courtyard is not listed as an amenity they can’t tell kids not to play there. They cannot restrict access to something that they don’t advertise. You definitely should get fair housing down there to your apartment community. Management can get in a SHIT TON of trouble.”
Kitchen Appears a Happy, Working Husband & Father & For Some, He’s ‘Nick The Hero’ & Invited to the Cookout
Nick Kitchen is a married dad with kids, two daughters. And he has and loves his dogs. In every Facebook post, he’s smiling and appears like a happy chill guy.
But Kitchen, who studied at Tacoma Community College, went beyond just being a dad and neighbor, he took a stand that many are saluting.
@_SamuelLahn @lexnstuff See. Some of y’all choose to invite just anybody to the cookouts.
THIS man. He’s invited. And, he gets an honorary mention to Big Mama.
“See. Some of y’all choose to invite just anybody to the cookouts. THIS man. He’s invited. And, he gets an honorary mention to Big Mama.”
@_SamuelLahn @lexnstuff Just because Becky knew the lyrics to “Back That Ass Up” and had a little hood in her delivery, that doesn’t mean she’s invited.
To-go plate if you care that much but, dassit.
“Just because Becky knew the lyrics to “Back That Ass Up” and had a little hood in her delivery, that doesn’t mean she’s invited. To-go plate if you care that much but, dassit.”
@_SamuelLahn @AzChike That’s what I’m talkin about cuh!!!!