Police arrest black teen for purchasing belt

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**Crablezworth**

This is insane, I can't fully wrap my head around this one.

**Manchu**

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.

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.

"Why me? I guess because I'm a young black man, and you know, people do a credit card scam so they probably thought that I was one of them," Christian said. "They probably think that black people don't have money like that."

He later returned the belt to Barneys because he says he "didn't want to have nothing to do with it."

He is suing the city and the luxury department store for unspecified damages as a result of "great physical and mental distress and humiliation."

Christian's attorney, Michael Palillo, told the Post, "His only crime was being a young black man."

Barneys said in a statement Wednesday that none of its employees was involved in any action with Christian other than the sale, and added that the store "has zero tolerance for any form of discrimination."

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

**Frazzled**

Words for those blocked?
EDIT: Thanks (oh no its the Fourth sign!)

**Manchu**

Already got you covered.

**Desubot**

**fishy bob**

*Sigh*

The police are certainly making their reputation more and more favourable...

**Alfndrate**

This... This is probably one of the dumbest things I've read recently... Also, New York this is why we can't have nice things (like $350 belts

)

**Frazzled**

Not sure why he is suing the department store-unless they called the poolice or something. I see why he is suing the PoPo.

**-Shrike-**

The stupidity in that block of text is giving me a headache...

**Crablezworth**

Frazzled wrote:
Not sure why he is suing the department store-unless they called the poolice or something. I see why he is suing the PoPo.

They called the police.

**fishy bob**

Reminds me of that South Park episode, where the cops arrest black people because they have more money than they do.

Also let me say, a $350 belt? A fool and his money...

**Frazzled**

Crablezworth wrote:
Frazzled wrote:
Not sure why he is suing the department store-unless they called the poolice or something. I see why he is suing the PoPo.

They called the police.

Is that in the article? I didn't see it.
Whats so awesome about a belt that its worth $350? Is it made out of bald eagle hide or something?
I have a specially made double hide belt for $70.

**Alfndrate**

Crablezworth wrote:
Frazzled wrote:
Not sure why he is suing the department store-unless they called the poolice or something. I see why he is suing the PoPo.

They called the police.

Was that in the video? Cause the news story Manchu copied didn't say they called the police, just that the young man was approached by police a block later.

**Noir**

Frazzled wrote:
Crablezworth wrote:
Frazzled wrote:
Not sure why he is suing the department store-unless they called the poolice or something. I see why he is suing the PoPo.

They called the police.

Is that in the article? I didn't see it.
Whats so awesome about a belt that its worth $350? Is it made out of bald eagle hide or something?
I have a specially made double hide belt for $70.

How do think the cops knew he just paid for a $350 belt when they walk up to him.

**Alfndrate**

Noir wrote:
Frazzled wrote:
Crablezworth wrote:
Frazzled wrote:
Not sure why he is suing the department store-unless they called the poolice or something. I see why he is suing the PoPo.

They called the police.

Is that in the article? I didn't see it.
Whats so awesome about a belt that its worth $350? Is it made out of bald eagle hide or something?
I have a specially made double hide belt for $70.

How do think the cops knew he just paid for a $350 belt when they walk up to him.

Because racism!

Though this story explains that the store did call the cops and reported the credit card as fake:
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/barneys-accused-stealing-black-teen-article-1.1493101

New York Daily News wrote: A black teenager is shopping for justice — claiming snooty Barneys staffers and New York City cops racially profiled him for credit card fraud after he bought a $349 belt.

Trayon Christian, 19, told the Daily News he filed a lawsuit after he was targeted by staffers at Barneys’ Madison Ave. flagship store and detained by police because they didn’t believe a young black man could possibly afford to buy such an expensive belt.

The fashion-forward teen, who lives with his mom in Corona, Queens, is studying engineering at the New York City College of Technology, where he had a work-study job.

Christian said his paycheck had just been direct deposited into his Chase bank account, so he went straight to Barneys on the afternoon of April 29 to buy the pricey Ferragamo belt with a silver buckle and a reversible black and white strap.

“I knew exactly what I wanted,” Christian said. He’d seen the belt on a lot of his favorite celebrities, including rapper Juelz Santana.

He said he’d browsed the ritzy rags at Barneys before but had never bought anything at the store.

“It was a quick trip. I gave them my debit card, I signed my name,” he said.

According to his lawsuit, the clerk asked Christian to show his ID, which he did.

“I showed my state ID,” he told The News.

The clerk didn’t react as he signed for his purchase and left, he said.

But he got no more than a block from the store when two undercover NYPD detectives stopped him near E. 60th St., the lawsuit said.

“They said my card wasn’t real, it was fake. They said someone at Barneys called to report it,” said Christian.

The male detectives — whose names he never learned — asked to see ID and look in his bag, he said.

They also asked him if he worked, and where.

“I showed them my school ID and my driver’s license,” said Christian, who was 18 when the incident allegedly occurred.

“I kept thinking, ‘Why is this happening to me?’” he said.

“The detectives were asking me, ‘How could you afford a belt like this? Where did you get this money from?’” he said.

He was handcuffed and taken to the 19th Precinct stationhouse, he said.

According to his lawsuit, he was detained in a holding cell for about two hours.

He was then released with his debit card, his belt and an apology from the police, Christian said.

A spokeswoman for the NYPD denied Christian was detained for two hours, saying he was brought into the precinct at 7:04 p.m. and was allowed to leave at 7:45 p.m.

“Mr. Christian was held in police custody for approximately 42 minutes and as soon as we determined that the card was authentic, he was immediately released,” said Inspector Kim Royster.

He was never charged, according to his attorney.

“I was nervous the whole time, but not really scared because I knew I had done nothing wrong,” said the teen.

After he got home, he got angry.

“I brought the belt back to Barneys a few days later and returned it. I got my money back, I’m not shopping there again,” he said. “It’s cruel. It’s racist.”

Calls to Barneys, which is led by CEO Mark Lee, were not returned.

The city Law Department said it hadn’t seen the court papers yet.

“We are awaiting a formal copy of the lawsuit and will review the claims upon receipt,” said Elizabeth Thomas, a Law Department spokeswoman.

The NYPD said it has gotten 53 grand larceny complaints this year for credit card fraud at Barneys’ Madison Ave. store and has made more than 47 arrests. But it’s unclear how many of those arrested were actually charged with a crime and how many were, like Christian, released.

Plainclothes officers visit Barneys periodically because of problems with fraudulent use of cards, the NYPD said.

Christian’s attorney Michael Palillo said the teen, who now works at Target, has a clean record.

“He’s never been arrested. His only crime was being a young black guy buying a $300 belt,” the lawyer said.

The student’s Facebook page shows pictures of a fashion-loving teen. In some, Christian is sporting various belts with buckles encrusted with glittering “F’s” — but it’s not clear if they are also Ferragamo items.

He’s also seen posing for selfies in a series of baseball caps that have been color-coded to match his clothes, with a gold chain and an earring peeking out.

Christian’s mother, Selena Christian, said she was outraged at the upscale store’s treatment of her son.

“Barneys said his card was stolen, they said he shouldn’t have that much money in his account,” said the 40-year-old school bus driver. “I am shocked. He’s a good kid.”

The hardworking mother could find only one reason for her son to be singled out after he’d shown ID to the Barneys staffer.

“It’s because he’s an African-American,” she said. “It’s wrong. They shouldn’t have done this.”

Being publicly questioned, searched and handcuffed and then detained in a police precinct cell caused Christian “great physical and mental distress and humiliation,” the lawsuit said.

“His reputation and character were injured and he was embarrassed,” the court papers said.

The incident was due to the “negligence, careless[ness] and recklessness of Barneys” and the undercover detectives, the lawsuit alleges.

Christian is suing the NYPD and Barneys for unspecified damages.

**Frazzled**

They were following him, either before he entered the store or they had someone in the store. Just saying, absent proof

**DogofWar1**

An unfortunate situation. The police (and stores, since apparently they called) always say they don't profile, but it's always with a wink and a nod.

I do hope there are some consequences for the police in this situation. I've seen too many cases where police overstep their powers and violate rights, and the cases just sort of go away because the people they go after are usually ill-equipped to engage in lengthy litigation for a small victory, especially when they're fighting an uphill battle due to the fact that many judges often lean towards law enforcement, since no judge wants to be the one who handcuffed the police.

**cincydooley**

He should be thanking the store and cops for making him sufficiently mad enough to return a $350 belt.

**fishy bob**

cincydooley wrote:He should be thanking the store and cops for making him sufficiently mad enough to return a $350 belt.

I know I would.

DogofWar1 wrote:An unfortunate situation. The police (and stores, since apparently they called) always say they don't profile, but it's always with a wink and a nod.

I do hope there are some consequences for the police in this situation. I've seen too many cases where police overstep their powers and violate rights, and the cases just sort of go away because the people they go after are usually ill-equipped to engage in lengthy litigation for a small victory, especially when they're fighting an uphill battle due to the fact that many judges often lean towards law enforcement, since no judge wants to be the one who handcuffed the police.

Though having read the Daily News article that was posted later, what were the cops supposed to do? If they get a call about a fake credit card then of course they have to look into it. When it turned out the card was real they let the guy go.

The racist remark was of course unnecessary.

**hotsauceman1**

Yeah, seems more like the store needs to be sued the most. Cops got a tip and followed on it.
Also. 350$ belt? What is the point of expensive clothes that dont look different from ones you get at a thrift store.

**Hulksmash**

Yeah, outside of the possible racist remark itself I don't see what the cops did wrong. I doubt they can verify fraud from their squad cars and the amount and possible crime was enough to make an actual arrest worthwhile.

Do people that get brought in as suspects in a reported crime normally get to sue when they weren't charged?

Now, the suit against the store might work if nothing triggered in their computer system to spur the call.

**Alfndrate**

hotsauceman1 wrote:
Also. 350$ belt? What is the point of expensive clothes that dont look different from ones you get at a thrift store.

In the immortal words of the Bard:

Fifty dollars for a T-shirt - that's just some ignorant witch (gak)
I call that getting swindled and pimped (gak)
I call that getting tricked by a business
That shirt's hella dough
And having the same one as six other people in this club is a hella don't

**LordofHats**

hotsauceman1 wrote:

Also. 350$ belt? What is the point of expensive clothes that dont look different from ones you get at a thrift store.

I fully support making it illegal for poor people to have nice things. Clearly only those of us of status* should be able to look this fly;

*And by status I mean white.

**Alfndrate**

>_>

Where can I get me one of those?

Asking for a friend

<_<

**LordofHats**

Alfndrate wrote:
>_>

Where can I get me one of those?

Asking for a friend

<_<

The internet. The internet has everything; Rule 34

**Bobaram**

I think part of the problem right off the bat is both those news stories quote the police differently. So it's hard to make a decision properly, one says they said a young black man such as himself in the other, just how can you have this much money. One is obviously racist, the other is poor wording. I think it's probably a case of profiling from the store, and they called the cops for sure to report that they think they're going to get ripped off again if the report saying that they have had 53 fake cards used is true. The kid is definitely going to have an uphill battle if the facts are as clouded and weird as the disagreements in two news stories already is.

Automatically Appended Next Post:
Rule 34 is the porn rule I thought? Are you saying there's beer belt porn!?!?!/

**Frazzled**

hotsauceman1 wrote:
Yeah, seems more like the store needs to be sued the most. Cops got a tip and followed on it.
Also. 350$ belt? What is the point of expensive clothes that dont look different from ones you get at a thrift store.

Wait so for the work blocked who called who and for what???

**fishy bob**

Frazzled wrote:
hotsauceman1 wrote:
Yeah, seems more like the store needs to be sued the most. Cops got a tip and followed on it.
Also. 350$ belt? What is the point of expensive clothes that dont look different from ones you get at a thrift store.

Wait so for the work blocked who called who and for what???

The store called the police saying the kids credit card was fake. How the store came to that I do not know, since it obviously was real.

**hotsauceman1**

The place he bought it from called the PoPO saying it was fraudulant, they just did their job and followed up on it

**Bobaram**

Cuz as we all know, stores have autodetect for fake cards now.....