https://www.facebook.com/camillahudson31765/videos/pcb.10215005361478879/10215005357398777/?type=3&theater
A Chicago woman is outraged after she says a CVS manager called police on her for using a “fraudulent” coupon.
Camilla Hudson said she was trying to use a manufacturer’s coupon at a local CVS Friday evening when the manager, identified as Morry Matson, said he had never seen a coupon like that before and claimed it was a fake. So he dialed police.
“…So, THIS just happened: I had the police called on me for attempting to use a coupon @ the CVS Pharmacy located at 6150 N. Broadway in Chicago!” Hudson wrote in her Facebook post, which has since gone viral. The post featured video of the encounter as well as a photo of the coupon in question.
Video of the incident shows Matson trembling uncontrollably while he’s on the phone with the cops. In describing Hudson to police, the manager pegs her as African-American, to which she responds, “No, I’m not African-American. I’m Black — Black isn’t a bad word.”
The drama unfolded when Hudson said two managers refused to honor her voucher for a free replacement product, which she received via mail from the manufacturer. It was the first manager who claimed her coupon was “fraudulent,” after which Hudson said he grew “agitated and rude,” when she asked for his name.
That’s when she said she pulled out her phone and started recording. Her post was later pulled by Facebook because it violated policy, but Hudson re-shared the video.
“When I followed him and demanded that he answer my question, he ran to the back of the store and slammed a door in my face,” Hudson wrote. “Meanwhile, the other manager, who had been helping me initially, came running back to tell me that I’d better leave the store immediately, because he’d called the police.”
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, it turns out Matson is running for Chicago City Council alderman and previously served as a state delegate for President Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential elections. He’s also president of the Log Cabin Republicans, which advocates on behalf of LGBTQ conservatives, according to the newspaper.
The managers reportedly dialed police twice that evening, as dispatchers hung up the first time they called. In her post, Hudson said three police officers eventually arrived and that she spoke with them before leaving the store. They didn’t take any action.
CVS Health has since apologized to Hudson for the incident and is now investigating the matter.
“We sincerely apologize to Ms. Hudson for her experience in one of our stores,” CVS spokesman Mike DeAngelis said in a statement. “Our Region Director in Chicago contacted Ms. Hudson as soon as we were made aware of this incident. CVS has begun an investigation and we will take any corrective action that is warranted to prevent it from happening again.”
“CVS Pharmacy does not tolerate any practices that discriminate against any customer and we are committed to maintaining a welcoming and diverse environment in our store,” he continued. “We have firm non-discrimination policies in place to help ensure that all customers are treated with respect and dignity. Profiling or any other type of discriminatory behavior is strictly prohibited.”
