Black Louisville chef shares picture with officer after encounter that surprised him
A local Black chef is sharing a picture he took with a police officer on social media, after an encounter that he says surprised him.
Louisville chef Kevin Nelson thought the worst Monday when Louisville Metro Police came knocking at his door.
“Immediately, (I) was freaked out. And panicked. I was reluctant to open the door,” Nelson said.
Nelson has been protesting downtown 17 of the last 25 days and he said he didn’t know what to think.
“I said, ‘Okay. Here we go.’”
Nelson soon found out his license plate had been stolen off his vehicle, and put on another vehicle which was then used in a crime.
“There was no license plate on my vehicle so it couldn’t be driven. I said, ‘What am I supposed to do?’ (The officer) said, ‘Let me see what can happen.’”
A short time later, Officer Taylor Cundiff returned, tag in hand.
“He didn’t have to do that,” said Nelson. “He didn’t have to go get it; remove it off that vehicle and drive it back to my house. For that I’m thankful.”
The two took a picture. Nelson posted about the encounter on Facebook and it’s gotten plenty of shares.
“I said (to him) man, this could have went a whole different way,” said Nelson to Officer Cundiff. “I said, man, thank you for taking time out of your day to bring me my license, and the way I was raised is when someone does something nice for you, you tell them thank you.”
The two met up Wednesday for the first time since the encounter and they both went in for a hug. The Flavors 8 chef made breakfast burritos for the both of them. They connected over their shared love of cooking and their mutual desire to see the city unite.
“We have to be able to come together,” said Officer Cundiff. “(We need to) look at the issues as a whole and do the best we can together and that’s really the only way we’re going to get through it is by doing it together.”
They agree that this may not be the most monumental step, but at least it’s one in the right direction.
“It’s just poking a little ray of sunshine, just a little ray of hope, some light in some dark situation,” said Nelson. “And that was that moment.”
