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RACIAL BIAS

Starbucks Wasted No Time Calling Philadelphia Police – Who Made It Much Worse

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Rashon Nelson and Donte Robinson had been in a Philadelphia Starbucks for about two minutes before the police were called. That revelation comes from an interview with the two men on ABC’s “Good Morning America” that aired Thursday.

In audio (below) released by the Philadelphia Police Dept., a woman’s voice can be heard in the 911 call saying, “I have two gentlemen in my café that are refusing to make a purchase or leave.” That was at 4:37 PM.

It almost sounded like a regular call, not the first time it was made.

Notice the language she used: “two gentlemen.”

In that same audio, a police dispatcher creates an entirely different scenario, telling officers there is “a group of males refusing to leave.” A few minutes later – about nine minutes after Nelson and Robinson had entered the coffee shop – the officers request a supervisor. The dispatcher tells the supervisor there’s a  “disturbance at the Starbucks, a group of males causing a disturbance.”

By 5 PM Nelson and Robinson had been handcuffed and removed from the store.

They tell Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts they were not read their Miranda rights, and officers did not even ask them why they were there. The two men say the officers approached them and told them they had to leave.

When they were arrested, they say they were not told why they were being arrested.

“It didn’t really hit me what was going on, that it was real, until I’m being double-locked with my hands behind my back,” Robinson says.

The men say they were there for a real estate meeting they had been working on for months.

In a separate video posted to Facebook Saturday Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross appears to take the side of the Starbucks staff, repeating the staff’s story as if it were factual – which it may or may not be.

Starbucks is closing its 8000 U.S. stores on May 29 for an afternoon of training on racial bias.

What is the Philadelphia Police Dept. going to do to retrain its officers?

Audio of 911 and dispatcher calls:

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RACIAL BIAS

Man Walking His Dog Becomes Crime Suspect After Neighbor Sends His Photo to Police – Because He’s Black

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7 years ago

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June 5, 2018

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A Nigerian man was out walking his dog, as he does every morning when he unknowingly ended up as a suspect in a burglary case, reported the San Diego Tribune.

After a burglary in his own neighborhood took place, a white woman snapped a photo of Ike Iloputaife, and sent it to the police.

The police released a press release of a photo of Iloputaife and his dog. However, the only thing that Iloputaife had in common with the robbers was his skin color. The robber was described as 20 to 35 years old, 6 feet to 6-feet-5 and weighing 260 pounds male.

Iloputaife on the other hand is 5 feet, 9 inches, 55, and weighs 195 pounds.

“In this person’s head I became a person of interest because of my skin color,” Iloputaife said. “Asking to call the police on a black person in this highly charged political and cultural environment can be a danger for the black person.”

Lt. Jack Reynolds said the police department removed his photo, but said that were just taking caution.

“With a crime where we have no leads other than surveillance footage, we’re going to look at all information that comes in as a potential lead,” Reynolds said.

Neighbor Laurie Gilbert said that Iloputaife’s presence in the neighborhood is well known and is shocked that he ended up as a burglary suspect.

“To suddenly feel unwelcome and afraid to go out and walk your dogs is awful,” said Gilbert. “There isn’t a bad bone in either of their bodies, they’re good, kind, loving people.”

 

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