Black gay couple says store called cops on them for buying nice things
Bed Bath & Beyond said it's investigating after Lamar Richards shared how a Toledo store employee stopped him and his partner and took some items from their cart as they shopped.
A gay Black couple is sharing their experience after alleging a store employee called the police on them for purchasing $600 worth of nice items.
According to Newsweek, Lamar Richards said Bed Bath & Beyond employees in Toledo, Ohio, accused him and his partner of trying to shoplift, citing “too many high ticket items” in their cart as they patronized the store on June 16.
Richards, director of advocacy at the Coalition for Nonprofit Housing and Economic Development, posted on Twitter that a store employee stopped them, seized things from their cart worth more than $200 and held them as the two continued browsing. After they checked out, having spent $600 for their items, Richards shared, police at the Bed Bath & Beyond informed the couple that authorities had been called to the store after employees suspected the men of attempting theft.
“Imagine that. Purchasing your first home,” Richards wrote, Newsweek reported. “Excited to begin building generational wealth. And then you visit a @BedBathBeyond store and you’re accused of shoplifting because you ‘had too many high ticket items in your cart.'”
Richards said when he and his partner questioned the manager and the employee who phoned the police as to why they did so, they were told, “It’s our right to call.” Store management and employees identified the couple to Toledo police as “two Black males.”
The frustrated customer said he was unaware the cops were at the store for them, pointing out that he, an incoming graduate, was wearing a Johns Hopkins University T-shirt, and his boyfriend was sporting a Michigan College of Pharmacy tee.
“We literally just wanted to buy some stuff for our new house,” he added, “and THIS is the welcome we get to the area.”
Richards claimed police informed the couple “you all did nothing wrong,” yet they weren’t offered a means to contact a corporate or district manager to take the matter to the top of the household goods giant.
Proclaiming he has “never felt so humiliated” in his entire life, Richards, after the incident, claimed he prayed for over an hour while sitting in his car “asking God to give me peace and calm my anxiety.”
WTOL11 News reported that Ben Crump, the civil rights lawyer who represented the families of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, also shared Richards’ Twitter videos, which were viewed millions of times as of Tuesday afternoon. Crump is now Richards’ legal counsel.
“They deserve answers for this humiliating experience,” the attorney said via Twitter, WTOL reported.
White people made everything about race
Five years ago, Bed Bath & Beyond, a big box retailer specializing in bedding, bathroom accessories and home decor, had more than 1,500 locations across North America, according to Newsweek. The chain now has roughly 365 stores open. A court document revealed the company struggled to find enough money to keep operating and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on April 23.
In a statement, Bed Bath & Beyond said it takes issues of this sort very seriously and does not tolerate discrimination. The company added that its officials are deeply concerned by the reported occurrence and are investigating, as they do with any reported incidents inconsistent with policies and procedures.
“Attempting to purchase a @roborockglobal vacuum resulted in the police being falsely called on two, young Black, gay guys simply shopping,” Richards said in his tweet, Newsweek reported. “During Juneteenth weekend and Pride Month, no less.”
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