Black teen sues over arrest after buying $350 designer belt

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/10/23/21098696-black-teen-sues-over-arrest-after-buying-350-designer-belt#comments

A 19-year-old college student from Queens says he was handcuffed and locked in a jail cell after buying a $350 designer belt at Barneys on New York's Madison Avenue because he is "a young black man."

Trayon Christian told NBC 4 New York on Wednesday that he saved up from a part-time job for weeks to buy a Salvatore Ferragamo belt at Barneys.

When he went to the store to buy it in April, he says the checkout clerk asked to see his identification. After the sale went through and he left the store, he was approached by police about a block away, and asked "how a young black man such as himself could afford to purchase such an expensive belt," according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday in Manhattan Supreme Court.

[decocker 7,198]

i was going to post this earlier, but i figured i'd let you get all the 'quit yer complaining' comments.

and anyone who spends 350 dollars on a belt should not be allowed to have money.

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

i was going to post this earlier, but i figured i'd let you get all the 'quit yer complaining' comments.

and anyone who spends 350 dollars on a belt should not be allowed to have money.

You know it. The most expensive belt I own is 30 bucks, it's reversible:)

If he saved up for it, let him have it.

[Peikko 1,575]

Honestlhy, I think there must be more to this than is being presented. While I am sure there are bad things that happend to black kids just for turning up places, this seems remarkably unlikely. To be arrasted there has to be some legitimate suspicion of your having committed a crime and that a crime was committed, and buying something, anything is not suspicious behaviour. So, no i do not believe this story as it is presented.

Edited October 23, 2013 by The Truth™

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

Honestlhy, I think there must be more to this than is being presented. While I am sure there are bad things that happend to black kids just for turning up places, this seems remarkably unlikely. To be arrasted you do have to have to be suspected legitimately of having committed a crime, and buying something, anything is not suspicious behaviour. So, no i do not believe this story as it is presented.

It could be, but I wouldn't put it past them. It's the mindset that there's no way a black teen could afford something like that legally.

[Darnell 8,478]

Heya, Madame Cleo ! ! !

Huh? Could be the cop was a racist, and skirted his racism on a false arrest using 'different' charges.

Let's see how it plays out, aye?

Edited October 23, 2013 by Darnell

[decocker 7,198]

If he saved up for it, let him have it.

i was joking about the money thing, of course.

[Peikko 1,575]

It could be, but I wouldn't put it past them. It's the mindset that there's no way a black teen could afford something like that legally.

That's not really the point though is it? The question is, what crime has he supposedly committed? Was he suspected of using someone else's cc? Was he suspected of using counterfiet money> What exactly is the crime that occurred here? The explanation of why they felt he might commit a crims is not good enough to arrest someone, a crime actually has to have happened.

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

i was joking about the money thing, of course.

I know

[decocker 7,198]

That's not really the point though is it? The question is, what crime has he supposedly committed? Was he suspected of using someone else's cc? Was he suspected of using counterfiet money> What exactly is the crime that occurred here? The explanation of why they felt he might commit a crims is not good enough to arrest someone, a crime actually has to have happened.

i read earlier that they let him go after they verified his chase debit card was in fact his. they (barneys) suspected fraud.

[Eric-Pris 1,606]

I heard this morning he's already suing the city and Barney's.

[Peikko 1,575]

i read earlier that they let him go after they verified his chase debit card was in fact his. they (barneys) suspected fraud.

Then why is he pserusing the police on this? They have every right to make inquiries if someone is suspected of fraudulatnly using a cc. Was he actually arrested or was he brought in for questioninng? It's flimsy at best.

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

That's not really the point though is it? The question is, what crime has he supposedly committed? Was he suspected of using someone else's cc? Was he suspected of using counterfiet money> What exactly is the crime that occurred here? The explanation of why they felt he might commit a crims is not good enough to arrest someone, a crime actually has to have happened.

The point is that a crime had to be committed in order for him to buy the belt. The questions you're relaying, are what they were thinking. It's what happens to a lot of us.

Back in the 90's, pagers were all the rage. Problem was, if you're black, pager=drug dealer. Period. I worked for my uncle in construction so I made a good bit of money for a 17 year old. Plus, my mom got me a car for graduating on the honor roll. So a black teenager(who looked 14 rather than 17) driving a brand new car with a pager? Let's just say I got to know some cops by their first names I got stopped so much. Never speeding, never doing anything wrong, just driving around with my friends.

Once I was in a QT playing Street Fighter 2. A cop was getting something to drink. As he was walking out my pager went off. I stopped and went to go call my friend who was paging me. Best believe, he followed me outside to the phone and gave me the third degree. What did I do for a living? Who was I calling? And his eyes lit up when I started to walk to my car. I had to give up my license and get my plates ran. Not fun at all.

Then why is he pserusing the police on this? They have every right to make inquiries if someone is suspected of fraudulatnly using a cc. Was he actually arrested or was he brought in for questioninng? It's flimsy at best.

Officers hauled Christian to the local precinct, where he showed police his identification, as well as his debit card and the receipt for the belt, the lawsuit says. Police still believed Christian's identification was fake, and eventually called his bank, which verified it was his, according to the complaint. Christian, who has no prior arrests, was released. He told NBC 4 New York that questions were racing through his mind while he went through the painful experience of being handcuffed and taken to a cell.

[Peikko 1,575]

The point is that a crime had to be committed in order for him to buy the belt. The questions you're relaying, are what they were thinking. It's what happens to a lot of us.

Back in the 90's, pagers were all the rage. Problem was, if you're black, pager=drug dealer. Period. I worked for my uncle in construction so I made a good bit of money for a 17 year old. Plus, my mom got me a car for graduating on the honor roll. So a black teenager(who looked 14 rather than 17) driving a brand new car with a pager? Let's just say I got to know some cops by their first names I got stopped so much. Never speeding, never doing anything wrong, just driving around with my friends.

Once I was in a QT playing Street Fighter 2. A cop was getting something to drink. As he was walking out my pager went off. I stopped and went to go call my friend who was paging me. Best believe, he followed me outside to the phone and gave me the third degree. What did I do for a living? Who was I calling? And his eyes lit up when I started to walk to my car. I had to give up my license and get my plates ran. Not fun at all.

Officers hauled Christian to the local precinct, where he showed police his identification, as well as his debit card and the receipt for the belt, the lawsuit says. Police still believed Christian's identification was fake, and eventually called his bank, which verified it was his, according to the complaint. Christian, who has no prior arrests, was released. He told NBC 4 New York that questions were racing through his mind while he went through the painful experience of being handcuffed and taken to a cell.

I don't agree to be honest. Credit card fraud is a huge problem. There has to have been something about his ID that the store didn't like or they wouldn't have persued it and if there was seomthing suspicous the police have a right to verify that the card was used legitimately. Clearly they let him go when it was proved that it was. I don't see why this is being portrayed as prejudice, I very much doubt it was.

[decocker 7,198]

Then why is he pserusing the police on this? They have every right to make inquiries if someone is suspected of fraudulatnly using a cc. Was he actually arrested or was he brought in for questioninng? It's flimsy at best.

barneys says their employee had nothing to do with it, so i'm not sure but this is their fb response:

"The following statement can be attributed to a Barneys New York spokesperson:

“Barneys New York typically does not comment on pending litigation. In this instance, we feel compelled to note that after carefully reviewing the incident of last April, it is clear that no employee of Barneys New York was involved in the pursuit of any action with the individual other than the sale. Barneys New York has zero tolerance for any form of discrimination and we stand by our long history in support of all human rights.”"

and from what i read on huff po, the teen provided his id and cc and was told by the cops that they were not valid; he was cuffed and taken in for questioning. huff po says he was arrested.