Connect with us

RACIAL BIAS

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

Published

on

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.”

 

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment
 
 

Enjoy this piece?

… then let us make a small request. The New Civil Rights Movement depends on readers like you to meet our ongoing expenses and continue producing quality progressive journalism. Three Silicon Valley giants consume 70 percent of all online advertising dollars, so we need your help to continue doing what we do.

NCRM is independent. You won’t find mainstream media bias here. From unflinching coverage of religious extremism, to spotlighting efforts to roll back our rights, NCRM continues to speak truth to power. America needs independent voices like NCRM to be sure no one is forgotten.

Every reader contribution, whatever the amount, makes a tremendous difference. Help ensure NCRM remains independent long into the future. Support progressive journalism with a one-time contribution to NCRM, or click here to become a subscriber. Thank you. Click here to donate by check.

RACIAL BIAS

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

Published

6 years ago

on

April 19, 2018

By

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:

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2020 AlterNet Media.