In All American Boys, Rashad is shopping for a bag of chips when he is mistaken as a shoplifter by policeman Paul Galluzzo. It was all a misunderstanding, but Rashad's cry for help and innocence is left ignored as Paul continues to violently and physically harm the boy. On the sideline is Paul's basically adopted son, Quinn, who is a basketball star on the varsity high school team. There's also the bodega security camera that recorded the whole thing. Told in alternating racial perspectives by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely, this is a story of standing up for what is right even if it means hurting the ones closest to you.