Years ago, Cheo Hodari Coker was a writer on the police show “Southland,” so he spent some time with law enforcement for research. He remembers being told, “that somebody my size would be considered a threat, me being 6-2, 250. That there was an increased chance that someone my size would get shot.”
Coker’s perspective made him an asset to the show, which was often praised for its complex portrayal of law enforcement and race relations. That’s something most…