A 61-year-old Kansas man was placed in handcuffs after local police spotted him at the end of a 12-hour moving day attempting to move a television into his new home.
The Kansas City Star reported on Wednesday that Karle Robinson was approached by a Tonganoxie policeman on his front lawn on Aug. 12 because he was suspected to be a burglar.
Robinson told The Star that although he understood why he may have been stopped by the officer initially, giving how late he was finishing up his moving, he said it is hard to forgive the officer for what he did next.
Though Robinson offered to get the documentation in his home confirming his ownership, the officer instead opted to handcuff him. Additional officers later entered the man’s home and searched for the paperwork themselves.
“If I’d been a white man, you know that wouldn’t happen,” Robinson told the local newspaper. “I’m being handcuffed right here on my own damn property.”
In footage captured by the initial officer who confronted him, Robinson can be heard asking: “Is this all necessary?”
Police later apologized to Robinson once they retrieved papers from his home proving his ownership and explained to him why he was cuffed, citing recent robberies in the same town.
“It’s real uncomfortable,” Robinson said in response, “but I understand.”
Days after the incident, Robinson filed a complaint with the department. He told The Star, for black men, he thinks “you’re guilty until proven innocent.”
“They’re thinking I’m stealing,” he said. “I’ve been hearing this for 40 years — getting pulled years, getting pulled over, being searched. I’m not going to let this go.”
Tonganoxie Police Chief Greg Lawson pushed back against Robinson’s claims of racial profiling and defended his officer's actions.
Lawson noted that the officer who placed Robinson in handcuffs was initially alone and had reason to suspect Robinson could be a burglar, similarly citing recent robberies in the town as his policemen had.
“If I were on that call, by myself, no matter the race of the person, they would’ve been handcuffed,” he said.
Link: Black man placed in handcuffs while trying to move TV into his home: report
The Kansas City Star reported on Wednesday that Karle Robinson was approached by a Tonganoxie policeman on his front lawn on Aug. 12 because he was suspected to be a burglar.
Robinson told The Star that although he understood why he may have been stopped by the officer initially, giving how late he was finishing up his moving, he said it is hard to forgive the officer for what he did next.
Though Robinson offered to get the documentation in his home confirming his ownership, the officer instead opted to handcuff him. Additional officers later entered the man’s home and searched for the paperwork themselves.
“If I’d been a white man, you know that wouldn’t happen,” Robinson told the local newspaper. “I’m being handcuffed right here on my own damn property.”
In footage captured by the initial officer who confronted him, Robinson can be heard asking: “Is this all necessary?”
Police later apologized to Robinson once they retrieved papers from his home proving his ownership and explained to him why he was cuffed, citing recent robberies in the same town.
“It’s real uncomfortable,” Robinson said in response, “but I understand.”
Days after the incident, Robinson filed a complaint with the department. He told The Star, for black men, he thinks “you’re guilty until proven innocent.”
“They’re thinking I’m stealing,” he said. “I’ve been hearing this for 40 years — getting pulled years, getting pulled over, being searched. I’m not going to let this go.”
Tonganoxie Police Chief Greg Lawson pushed back against Robinson’s claims of racial profiling and defended his officer's actions.
Lawson noted that the officer who placed Robinson in handcuffs was initially alone and had reason to suspect Robinson could be a burglar, similarly citing recent robberies in the town as his policemen had.
“If I were on that call, by myself, no matter the race of the person, they would’ve been handcuffed,” he said.
Link: Black man placed in handcuffs while trying to move TV into his home: report
Then you expect him to be cool with the fact you treated him like a criminal for no reason whatsoever. I hope he gets paid.
