In what’s apparently the latest instance of Blackness seeming suspicious, officers arrested a former NFL player who was house hunting.
See Also: Watch: Six Cops Accuse Black Man Of Breaking Into His Own Apartment In NYC
It seems that almost every day a new story surfaces about someone calling the cops on a Black person engaged in everyday activities–from sitting in a Starbucks to barbecuing in a park.
The latest instance involves Kellen Winslow Jr., who was released from jail after posting bail for an arrest by the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department Thursday on suspicion of burglary, NBC News reported.
https://twitter.com/delgeo1/status/1005903197121187841
Officers arrested the athlete, who played tight end for the Cleveland Browns and other teams, after someone called 911 to report that a suspicious Black man had “walked into a neighbor’s residence” in the San Diego County beach city of Encinitas. Winslow left after the caller confronted him. Deputies stopped Winslow nearby as he drove away.
There’s a perfectly reasonable explanation, Winslow’s spokeswoman Denise White told the news outlet. He was just doing something that people across the nation do every day. The athlete was home shopping for his mother-in-law. He never went inside the mobile home, which belongs to his wife’s friend.
“He would have no need to burglarize or steal anything from anyone at a trailer park,” said Harvey A. Steinberg, Winslow’s attorney. “He looks forward to being vindicated once this matter is fully investigated and adjudicated through the court system.”
Winslow’s father, Kellen Winslow Sr., had a Hall of Fame career with the San Diego Chargers. San Diego law enforcement officials didn’t give Winslow the benefit of the doubt, despite sharing the name of his famous father. It appears to be business as usual for the police department, which has a serious racial profiling problem.
A 2017 study by San Diego State University found that the San Diego Police Department disproportionately stopped and searched Blacks and Hispanics at a higher rate than whites.
SEE ALSO:
Black Fashion Entrepreneur Aims To Diversify Eco-Conscious Spaces
Actor Kofi Siriboe Tackles Mental Health Stigma In The Black Community Through Short Film
Add House Hunting While Black To List Of Things Black Folks Can’t Do Without Raising Suspicion was originally published on newsone.com
