How did sonny know the black driver is a cop?

When Sonny asked how much $ the black driver wanted for the ride, the driver kept looking at the cops, sorta with a "help me here" attitude.

It was easy to spot, as Sonny pointed out "Why are you looking at them?" (Them being the cops.)


I do no harm, I keep to myself; there's nothing wrong with my state of mental health.

This is left intentionally unclear. The final line spoken by the black driver before Sonny "makes" him is, "when you guys shoot, aim for white meat!". Perhaps that sounded too rehearsed in Sonny's mind. A true driver would be scared to death in a situation like that and certainly wouldn't be pimping it up while talking to an armed maniac.

He who conquers himself is mightier than he who conquers a city.

It doesn't matter if he was a cop or not. That's not why Sonny told him to take a walk. Think about it ...

Remember when the FBI agent told Sonny in private to just sit quietly, and they'll look after Sal? And then Sonny shouts at him, out loud so Sal would hear it of course, "You think I would sell him out, you *beep* Then, when Sal questions Sonny about the conversation, he plays it off. Get it yet? ...

Sal is not holding up well in this predicament. He's of no help whatsoever to Sonny, and instead gives him grief. No ideas, no action. He's sensitive, very nervous, and really doesn't want to get on a plane. And lets face it, he's not the sharpest tool in the shed. Wyoming? Sonny sees this, and he's having trouble just to juggle everything, keep cool, AND look after Sal. Sal is really dragging Sonny down. Surely, somewhere way in the back of his head, the thought of getting Sal off his back... must have crossed his mind.

Skip forward to the limo bus scene. The black driver finally gives in to Sonny's pursuasion, and it's almost a done deal. Sonny glances over at the FBI agent, who shoots him a look, and suddenly Sonny does a 180 and makes a scene about the black guy being a cop.

Sonny saw it coming. Him and Sal were in the army. They both know how to handle a weapon in "bumpy car" ffs. He just wanted out, and saw this as his chance, but he was wrong.

Besides, how is turning down a cop in favour of an FBI agent supposed to be an improvement?

Because no black man, especially in 1971, would ever agree to do that(and rightfully so).
They shot at a white woman over 600 times in the recent Stockton bank robbery and hostage situation, killing her.
Then they charged the one living perp with her murder.

Cops LOVE to shoot people and they won't let something like an innocent person's life stop them, let alone a black man's life in '71.

Gut feeling...plus what others have said here.

~~~~~
Jim Hutton (1934-79) & Ellery Queen 🎇

I've been wondering about that too and didn't find a fitting explanation for it.

And none of the explanations given here convince me.


People who don't like their beliefs being laughed at shouldn't have such funny beliefs