A third victim has spoken out in what has become a string of racial profiling allegations against the New York Police Department and high-end department stores. Actor Robert Brown, who appeared in Finding Forrester and HBO's Treme, says he was stopped and frisked by undercover detectives at Macy's on June 8 after he purchased a watch. He was held in a jail cell at the store for over an hour and released without being charged.
According to the Manhattan Supreme Court lawsuit, the 29-year-old "was told that his identification was false and that he could not afford to make such an expensive purchase." Brown is suing the NYPD and Macy's, and his lawyer John Elefterakis says the actor is after justice and not money.
"The bottom line is … this isn't about money; this about proving a point," Elefterakis told the New York Post. "This is just something that shouldn't happen."
Two other Black shoppers recently accused Barneys of racial profiling after they were searched by NYPD and accused of fraudulent transaction for their purchases. Trayon Christian, 19, was stopped after buying a $349 Ferragamo belt and 21-year-old Kayla Phillips found herself in a similar situation after splurging on a $2,500 Celine handbag at the same department store. A petition has been created on Change.org to urge Jay Z to end his collaboration with Barneys for an upcoming holiday collection.
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(Photos from left: PNP/WENN.com, Stephen Chernin/Getty Images)