he's been a coach and mentor to 17 year old kwan oakley for five years. >> if i need anything, i can call sean. we talk about the stuff that black kids need to talk about, like, to help you get past the obstacles here in baltimore. >> he was right down the street. >> reporter: four days earlier, kwan was nearly caught in a shootout. sean asked what he would do if the police showed up. >> you shouldn't have to game plan on how to act innocent when the reality is, that you actually are innocent. >> right. >> you gotta have some sort of reference point if these things happen. >> me and freddie are just alike. >> yeah, no doubt. >> just be as compliant as possible. i hate to have to tell you that. >> when you have skin like this you have no idea what's going to happen. >> yeah, no doubt. >> reporter: it's in this complicated space that mentors like sean make a place to navigate. >> yay! >> reporter: sean lives in the same neighborhood as kwan with his fiance ashley and their 1-year-old son. sean and ashley's area is an oasis. the city has a sporadic redevelopment campaign. but when ashle