A racist store owner called the cops on a black student because he “looked” sketchy as he shopped for candy.
KRQE in Albuquerque reports that Jordan McDowell, a student at Xavier University visiting for class work, was browsing around Santa Fe Allsup’s store when the unidentified clerk called the police on him after he paid for the candy. While looking around for other items to potentially buy, that’s when McDowell heard the clerk pick up the phone and call the cops.
In the video, you can hear the store owner calling him “arrogant and black.”
McDowell recorded part of the exchange on cell phone video. While speaking on the phone, the employee can be heard saying, “And I want him out of the store right now,” as she is presumably speaking to a 911 dispatcher.
After a four-second pause, the employee can be heard saying “because he’s being arrogant, because he’s black.”
McDowell, says the only thing he feels right now is outrage
“There’s nothing right about this, there’s nothing right to call the police on someone just because of their skin tone.”
“In that moment, the only thing I felt at that small moment was rage,” said McDowell. “But at the same time too I understood that racism in America never truly died.”
McDowell says the officers responding to the call spoke to him but did not ask for his ID or accuse him of any wrongdoing while the clerk denied calling the police because of his race.
KRQE News 13 spoke to the employee seen in McDowell’s video at the store Tuesday. The employee denied speaking of McDowell’s race. After KRQE News 13 showed the employee the video clip, she continued to deny speaking of McDowell’s race, then refused to speak any further about the incident.
To see his recording of the incident and the news story, flip the page.