Another video surfaced showing a White woman calling police on a Black person who was not in violation of anything other than sitting "comfortably" in her own neighborhood.
The incident took place in the Upper West Side of Manhattan and is being cited as another example in a growing list of White people falsely accusing non-violent people of color of crimes.
In the video that has gone viral, the White woman identified herself as Svitlana Flom.
According to the NY Daily News, Flom is a 34-year-old socialite and a co-owner of Maison Vivienne—a restaurant in the Hamptons, "inspired by the south of France."
She was filmed claiming that a Black woman was "threatening" and 'harassing" her—neither of which were evident in the footage.
View this post on InstagramFrom 6:15pm - 7:31pm this woman, Svitlana Flom, artdefete felt the need to not only approach me but call the cops MULTIPLE TIMES ON ME!! She was too “Alarmed" that I was sitting “comfortably" in “her neighborhood!" The first call was because she THOUGHT I was smoking in public.. but by the 3rd call, it was bcuz I was “threatening her & her children !!" While giving my description, she exaggerated her story & made it seem like I was the aggressor. “THIS AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMAN IS ATTACKING ME AND MY CHILDREN!" She had tears that were off & on & she stated things like “She's pulling the black card!" Then wanted me to walk to the boys w/ her 🤦🏾♀️🤡 I probably could have just walked away!! I probably should have kept my mouth shut right ?! NAHHH!! I couldn't understand why she was so mad ! Like ummmm first of alllll I pay alllll mine over here Miss Lady !! 🙄 How you come over here just feeling sooooo privileged & soooo comfortable enough to tell me I should leave ?! You're buggin !! NOT THIS ONE!! She wanted to be a victim soooo bad!! NOT ONE PERSON CAME TO HER AID!! MULTIPLE PPL witnessed the ordeal & just wanted to make sure I was ok! SHARE THESE VIDEOS AS MANY TIMES AS POSSIBLE !! #SvitlanaFlom @maisonvivinyc @huffpost @ariannahuff
A post shared by *Pretty Brown* (@_brownsugarbaby) on May 30, 2020 at 1:10pm PDT
The African American woman in question who filmed the encounter was Jana'e Brown—a healthcare worker who was outside to take in the nightly cheering of New York healthcare workers risking their lives during the ongoing pandemic.
That was when Flom approached her and accused her of smoking pot before calling 911 on her "multiple times."
In the footage, Flom could be heard telling the police that an "African American" was "playing the Black card."
Brown said the woman's third phone call to 911 was to report Brown for "threatening her & her children," which she wasn't.
A deeply concerned Flom told police that she wanted the footage of their encounter deleted:
"I'm shaking, I'm pregnant. This is unacceptable. I want this video to be gone."
Meanwhile, a man alleged to be Flom's husband was seen in the video walking away.
Even her husband was ashamed of her
— alan haywood (@alan_alh) June 4, 2020
Husband had to walk away cause he was embarrassed, unbelievable!!they should start charging these people for wasting police time!!! the police absolutely encourage this kind of behaviour!! black person can't sit where ever he/she wants, and be free WOW!!!
— nothabo (@nothabo88978933) June 4, 2020
The husband's name is Gary Flom, a millionaire businessman and former president and CEO of Jaguar Land Rover Manhattan, according to Indy 100.
Brown commented on the husband who was seen casually leaving the scene.
"This pregnant mom ... her husband never even approached her to see if she's okay."
If she and her children were really being threatened, her husband wouldn't have walked away from them. If she was fearful, she would have grabbed her children and called the police from a safer location.
— Natasha Lockhart 🍀🛡✍️ (@NLockhart2Write) June 4, 2020
No wonder the husband walked away. Who waves in such a calm manner - sits and go through their phone - when they're apparently distressed. I'm so glad mobile phones exist. She should be charged for wasting police time - and given a weeks detention in prison. That will deter ppl.
— Justme (@Justme1111_) June 4, 2020
At one point, Flom asked Brown to go with her to talk to the police.
But Brown had no intentions of complying and said:
"Can you imagine that? If Bozo was a person, it would be you."
She really asked her to walk over to the officers with her🙈🙈🙈
— MisTÂûght (@Mis_TAught) June 4, 2020
She asked her to go to the police with her. I CAN'T. She said help me oppress you!
— Máyọ̀wà the Natural Scientist 🇳🇬 (@PaleoMayowa) June 4, 2020
"If bozo was a person it would be you"
She handled this so much better than I would've.
— Kari (@amirak101) June 4, 2020
Brown told the news outlet:
"I didn't know who she was. She's just a random person, telling me I can't sit here, telling me I can't be here."
The audacity...the conviction...the self-righteousness...absolutely baffling and thought-provoking!
— Taiwo Danjuma (@TaiwoDanjuma) June 4, 2020
Also, did y'all see the other people out there walking around and sitting on the other benches? 🧐 But she felt "threatened" by the black woman sitting on the bench minding her own business...mmmkay 😒
— pene_John_Boyega_stan_account_tru (@tru_pene) June 4, 2020
Brown said the interaction was reminiscent of the incident with Amy Cooper—the White woman who felt threatened by a Black birdwatcher who told her to put a leash on her dog in an area of Central Park that required all dogs to be leashed.
The Amy coopers of the world
— Cailah Tatenda (@misscailah) June 4, 2020
As the public outrage over racial bias in law enforcement and racial injustice prompted numerous protests across the country in the past week, Brown wondered what consequences she might suffer from this confrontation as a Black woman.
"What if the cops come and feel alarmed?"
"Why does this keep happening over and over?"
"I just don't understand it."
When the police arrived, the situation did not escalate and no arrests were made.
Brown remained at the scene to prove she was not disturbing the peace.
"That's why I stayed. Because I needed the cops to see.
"If you want to search me, you can. Because I don't have anything."
"Some people think they're more privileged because of the color of their skin or their economic status or whatever. But that's not how I am."
Flom was called out on social media for her blatant racial bias.
Acts of blatent Racism like this go unpunished! Its disgusting and unacceptable, too many people ignore situations like this and it can't continue anymore.
— wheezey (@Wheezemeister) June 4, 2020
If anyone calls the police on black people with no sensible cause and that black person is killed as a result, they should be charged and convicted of first degree murder #blacklifematters
— 👑Alegna Kween👑 (@FYAHFIDEM) June 4, 2020
With her conduct now exposed to the public, Flom expressed concern for her reputation.
"I want this nightmare to end … and for her to stop making up stories about me."
"She was harassing me, calling me all kinds of names and profiling me. She was playing me."
"Like I'm another White racist woman, a 'Karen' who came over to her and started everything."
I didn't (still don't really) know who Svitlana Flom was but when I searched this there are reports that she's upset that the video made her look racist.
And there was me thinking it was her racism that made her look racist....
— Roth Child (@Thechildofroth) June 4, 2020
Brown said she doesn't regret standing up to Flom but also reminded people not to "lose your cool" in similar scenarios.
"You just gotta always stand in your truth. You can't lose your cool, you can't lose character because that's what they want."
"I was the victim because I was harassed. I feel like I want to press charges,
She also said there should be consequences for Flom's behavior.
"She wanted to prove her point, I'm going to prove mine. Something has to be done, like she has to come forward and apologize publicly."
Brown added:
"I hope she learns a lesson, to treat people the same. Because we are all the same."