Lamorne Morris opens up about his run-ins with police

Larry King: You play a police officer. This is a rough time with cops in America, how do you feel about that?

Lamorne Morris: You know what, I wrote an episode based on that, called ‘Par 5,’ and it’s a weird dynamic playing a police officer. I would get a ton of tweets that would say, “How does it feel to play a black cop on TV with a cat named Ferguson” during the times that were happening in Ferguson. I feel great about it, to be honest with you. I get to express an opinion and a voice, not only from a citizen, and also a black citizen, but also a police officer.

Larry King: What’s the problem?

Lamorne Morris: What’s the problem?
Larry King: Where does it go deep, in Chicago, because City of Big Shoulders, they say.

Lamorne Morris: Oh yeah, I mean Chicago was tough, especially now. Gang violence, murder rates being at all-time high. For me, honestly, I think it’s an educational thing. I think when kids don’t have access to current books, they don’t have access to information, they don’t have afterschool programs, they don’t have arts programs, sports programs, they have nothing to do. And when you’re in an area that is below the poverty line, in some of those areas, you have to do what you have to do to make money sometimes. So a lot of that is being out, being outside, being on the street. Even when you’re not doing anything wrong, you’re looked at like you’re doing something wrong. So a lot of times you find yourself in these situations, and I’ll be honest with you, I feel like it starts with the school system. If we clean that up, if we give teachers higher pay, if we put more money into educational budgets, I think it’ll give kids a better outlook.

Larry King: Did you have problems with cops?

Lamorne Morris: I did, I did. The strangest thing, my mom supports police officers, she has the stickers on her car, she donates. I remember one time, I started working for BET, bought a new car, I was in Chicago with a friend of mine, Kenny. And my girlfriend at the time, my girlfriend at the time was Jewish. And we were walking in Chicago, I was leaving Second City, and walking back to my car. And I remember two police officers, two white officers, stopped us, just from walking, and put us on my car. And they handcuffed us and kept asking us whose car it was. And my girlfriend’s crying, and she’s like, “It’s his car.” And I’m like, “It’s my car,” and they’re telling me to shut up. They’re telling my buddy to shut up. And they didn’t handcuff her, they asked if she was okay. And it was the strangest thing, I’ve dealt with racism growing up, but that was one that was—I was helpless.

Larry King: So how did you not turn out angry?

Lamorne Morris: You do become angry. I’m very angry. But you channel it differently.

Larry King: Still live in Chicago?

Lamorne Morris: No, my mom still lives in Chicago, my whole family is in Chicago.

Larry King: Better neighborhood?

Lamorne Morris: Yeah, bought my mom a house in Oak Lawn.

Larry King: That’s not bad.

Lamorne Morris: Yeah, not bad.

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