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A cellphone video taken in suburban Detroit captured a 20-year-old Black man being detained by police for what the woman who took the photo said was “looking suspiciously at a caucasian woman.”
According to the Detroit Metro Times, based on footage from the video posted on Facebook, Devin Myers was walking to a restaurant in Royal Oak, Mich., when police approached him and began to question him.
“I’m not going to leave a brother out here,” Kimiko Adolph is heard saying in the video she took. One officer was visibly annoyed that Adolph and others who had gathered were asking why he was questioning Myers.
“It’s not that big of a deal,” the officer replied. Adolph shot back: “It’s a big deal when this happens consistently.”
Adolph continued, narrating the video, “I was going to the CVS over here when this young man was stopped because a Caucasian lady said that he looked at her suspiciously and he has been pulled over walking to go to eat by two police officers for suspicion of being black.”
After additional officers arrived, along with a supervisor, police eventually told Myers he was free to leave, and restaurant, the Inn Season Cafe, covered his meal.
The restaurant’s general manager, who reportedly witnessed the incident, was heard on the video telling officers, “If that were me walking across the street and walking in, this would not be happening because I was looking at her.”
A police internal investigation has been launched into the incident, according to Detroit station WXYZ.
Apparently, the police department received a phone call alerting them to the incident and officially lodging a complaint.
Adolph said a white woman called the police while watching the incident transpire from her car.
While the video was rolling, Myers can be heard saying, “They need to make a warning sign for Royal Oak: ‘Don’t stare too long.’”
Adolph corrected him: “No, don’t be Black and stare.”