Robert Stephenson emerged from jail visibly injured, his finger damaged and his wrists riddled with marks. One of his many interactions with law enforcement officials during his three-year stint of homelessness left his criminal record tainted and his physical appearance damaged in the manner described above.

In a telling interview with the San Diego Union-Tribune, Stephenson explained that the police had, indeed, roughed him up a bit. But he added that it was “not in a Rodney King way” as if to subtly defend the wayward assailants or to make the injustice appear less gruesome than it was.

The harrowing truth is that for the duration of his homeless experience, Stephenson had become accustomed to these types of interactions with law enforcement officials as well as the general public’s perception of him as an alleged “criminal.” Being jailed, assaulted, and tossed back into the system had become a way of life for the man.

Read the full article here: Arrested for Existing whilst Homeless