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The owner of a high end lemonade stand in San Francisco says he was approached by the police while testing the security system for his business. A neighbor called the police when they thought he was breaking in,
Viktor Stevenson took to Instagram to share his story. It seems he was checking the security system on his upscale lemonade kiosk when two police cars approached. In the post, Stevenson said:
Four cops just hopped out on me guns almost drawn took my ID at my own store. This racist thing is out of control but it won't stop me!
Stevenson says the officers asked him to prove the business was his. Stevenson had the keys and an ID which seemed to appease the officers who left without incident.
Stevenson also went on Facebook and posted another video as the police are leaving. He wrote:
Being black at my business minding my business and someone called the police and said I was breaking in. People die because of this kinda misuse of police resources and racial profiling everyday.
Since the Instagram and Facebook posts, the media has picked up on the story.
This is what it's like for a black business owner in a gentrifying SF neighborhood: Racist graffiti and calls to th… https://t.co/mdQjO6dD2K— AJ+ (@AJ+)1532129220.0
The police arrived after a neighbor called suspecting a break in at the lemonade stand. Many people felt frustration and sympathy for Stevenson.
@ajplus Don’t cry. Get the name of the person who called. File a complaint against them and pray for their evil sou… https://t.co/Qzyco6MdOu— Maryadine (@Maryadine)1532193945.0
@Redemee @ajplus The conundrum for POC is defending yourself(depending on too many variables)may prove to be a fat… https://t.co/ijLuj52Lgv— Michele Bradley (@Michele Bradley)1532197670.0
@ajplus There should be repercussions for being racist.The fact that everybody stands around doing nothing when peo… https://t.co/CIWkC9Fy0K— Tabby Mwangi (@Tabby Mwangi)1532160651.0
Others weren't convinced the police did anything wrong.
Viktor Stevenson said he was testing the security system at his new business Gourmonade when four cops approached h… https://t.co/QoD4b3n2Mu— HuffPost (@HuffPost)1532319730.0
@HuffPost It seems reasonable that they would want to stop and question someone trying break into a place of busine… https://t.co/O5AXBT3tun— Bobby T (@Bobby T)1532320295.0
@GonzLook @HuffPost They responded to a call of break and enter, asked to see the guys’ ID then nothing else happen… https://t.co/oTG9sFlLU6— Danica McLellan (@Danica McLellan)1532327125.0
@HuffPost Ok, im with you when it comes to most of the cases of blatant racism when white idiots call the cops on b… https://t.co/n84bnznD7d— Lamatier war wählen. Er ist sehr gut. (@Lamatier war wählen. Er ist sehr gut.)1532321182.0
Stevenson has said about the racism he's received in the past:
This isn't anything new for me, but it's new for me as a father and as a husband and I don't think my family or any other family should have to go through this for no reason.
H/T: Huffington Post, CNN