Video Of White CVS Employee Calling Police On Black Woman For Using A Coupon
In today’s #LivingWhileBlack story, a Black woman who was shopping at a CVS in Chicago had the cops called on her for trying to use a manufacturer's coupon on a product she was trying to buy.
Camilla Hudson posted a video on her Facebook of the incident. The footage shows a white male CVS employee apparently calling the police. The man identifies himself as Morry Matson while on the phone with authorities.
According to the Chicago Police Department, two officers responded to the scene shortly before midnight. An “assault in progress” was called in from at least one of the two calls made from the store at the time, according to Buzzfeed.
In the video, Matson describes Hudson as “African American.” “No, I’m not African American. I’m black,” Hudson replys. “Black isn’t a bad word.”
Hudson spoke with Block Club Chicago about the incident and says authorities were contacted after she tried to use a coupon. “I was not yelling, I did not raise my voice, I did not use profanity, I did not call anyone outside of their name — other than not accepting, basically, ‘Screw you,’ that was my offense, if you will.”
She more specifically described what happened on Facebook.
"The manager on duty said that he’d never seen a coupon like the one I had and said that he thought it was fraudulent," she wrote under the video. "When I pulled out my phone to document what happened and exactly what he’d said to me (AND how he’d said it!) he turned his back and walked away from me."
CVS is now apologizing for the incident and to Hudson. In a statement to Buzzfeed they claim they’re “actively investigating” what happened.
“We sincerely apologize to Ms. Hudson for her experience in one of our stores,” the company said. "The employees who were involved in the incident will not be working in the store pending the findings of our investigation.”
“We have firm non-discrimination policies in place to help ensure that all customers are treated with respect and dignity,” They continued. “Profiling or any other type of discriminatory behavior is strictly prohibited.”
View what went down below.