The London Stock Exchange Group fired one of its British employees living in the U.S. after a racial profiling incident in which a Black teen was followed around his own neighborhood by several white residents, including the employee, who allegedly pulled a gun.
Despite the accusations from multiple witnesses, Sarasota, Florida, authorities have not confirmed the presence of a gun during the incident and later stated that no crime was committed, according to reports citing those familiar with the incident.
The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that it is investigating, with detectives actively seeking and interviewing witnesses regarding an “altercation involving neighbors” who targeted a Black teen for walking down the street.
“The sheriff’s office takes these matters seriously and will fully investigate any allegations of criminal activity,” sheriff’s officials declared in an Oct. 16 Facebook post, also calling for any witnesses to come forward with additional information.
Meanwhile, the company acted swiftly, not waiting for the investigation to conclude before terminating Stephen Carega for his involvement.
“The individual involved was initially suspended while we investigated the matter,” an LSEG spokesperson said in a statement that didn’t name Carega. “The investigation has now concluded, and the individual’s employment has been terminated.”
The altercation occurred Oct. 10 in Sarasota, Florida, and came to light several days later after the teen’s mom posted a series of videos to social media, which quickly went viral.
The footage shows the teen walking through the Skye Ranch neighborhood in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, which had left them without power in their home.
Carega and two other men are shown in the video harassing the teen as he walks down the street in his gated community, targeting him for no reason other than walking while Black.
One of the assailants rode alongside the teen on a bicycle, his menacing presence adding to the mounting tension.
Carega’s face was clearly visible in the video, and online sleuths swiftly identified him, leading to a flood of angry messages directed at the London Stock Exchange Group on social media.
A groundswell of voices called for the global financial markets company to take immediate action. The backlash extended to LSEG’s LinkedIn page, where users publicly condemned Carega for his behavior, with many calling him “racist” and “morally reprehensible.”
In the statement announcing Carega’s termination, the company noted: “We expect the conduct of our employees to meet a high standard. LSEG operates a zero-tolerance policy against any form of racism, discrimination, prejudice or harassment.”
The viral footage starts out with the teen walking while pointing the cellphone camera back at himself, with Carega and his pals following closely behind.
The group of men peppered the young man with questions, asking who he was and what he was doing, suggesting he didn’t belong in the area.
Witnesses to the incident said the harassment went on for more than 10 minutes, though only a brief portion of the encounter was captured in the main video circulating online.
Throughout the ordeal, the teen remained calm, said little, and continued walking, even as the three strangers persistently surrounded him, despite his clear attempts to mind his own business.
“What’s going on, buddy?” Carega asked, approaching the teen in a white ball cap turned backward, sweat soaking his shirt, and hands on his hips, but the teen ignored him and kept it moving.
In the background, it looked like Carega had just stepped out of a white sports car, which was parked haphazardly in the middle of the street with the door wide open.
“He won’t answer my questions,” Carega told his partner before someone off-camera said, “Obviously, he doesn’t live here.”
“Loser,” another person chirped.
Some of the audio is difficult to discern due to wind interference, but one man can be heard saying something to the effect of: “This is a private community, so if you don’t live here, you need to leave,” followed by another voice, which said, “Do you live here? Are you visiting a friend?”
After this, a large middle-aged white man with a beard walked up alongside the teen with his arms folded, saying, “You’re getting neighbors concerned for walking around my house.”
The teen sharply denied the allegations: “I’m not walking around your house,” he said with consternation.
“You just passed my house four times. I don’t know you, I’ve never seen you, and you’re walking past my house over and over again. So if you live here, or if you have a friend you’re visiting here, that’s fine.”
At this point, the teen interrupted the man’s tirade, exclaiming, “I’m not in front of your house.”
As the teen turned the camera back to his left, an SUV came into view, having pulled up alongside him and parked. Carega was seen speaking briefly with the driver through the window while a toddler sat in a car seat in the back. “You’re actually following me,” the teen said incredulously, sensing that the situation was escalating.
It’s unclear if Carega retrieved anything from the vehicle, as the teen mainly kept the camera focused on himself while the little girl in the back seat started screaming in the background.
Despite this, the teen appeared undaunted, walking slowly ahead, the sound of his flip-flops sliding against the pavement.
“We’re just asking a question,” Carega pleaded in a British accent. “Do you live out here?”
The teen turned to Carega and answered with maturity: “I’m a part of the neighborhood.”
Carega: “You’re a part of the neighborhood. Does that mean you live here?”
The teen held back a response.
Not getting an answer, Carega argued, “It’s simple.”
This caused the teen to laugh out loud, which seemed a mix of exasperation and disbelief at the absurdity of the situation.
From there, Carega falsely accused the teen of accosting his wife.
“You went up to my wife,” he said flatly.
The teen immediately denied it: “Bro, I didn’t go up to your wife, bro,” calmly adding, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
The teen lowered the camera and tilted it upward.
“I think I can walk around my neighborhood,” the teen said firmly.
“That’s if you live here,” Carega shot back. “Do you live here?” he asked again.
That’s when the teen raised his voice to Carega.
“You gonna keep asking me the same question over and over and over and over,” the teen said, trying to make light of the situation, but he was clearly dismayed. “This man following me, this some harassment, right?” the teen asked while looking directly into the camera. “That’s harassment, right?” he kept repeating.
“I think what you did to my wife, yes,” Carega said, trying to gaslight the situation.
From there, the video cuts off, but the situation continues to escalate, with a gun reportedly being drawn, although this alleged act did not appear on the video viewed by Atlanta Black Star.
Social media erupted in outrage over the incident, putting immediate pressure on LSEG to punish Carega while local law enforcement had yet to take any action.
The company’s LinkedIn page lit up with a wave of comments reporting the employees’ alarming actions while doing their jobs in America. The most relevant comment came from a user named Shawan B, who said,
“I want to bring attention to an incident involving Stephen Carega. In an alarming act of misconduct, Stephen pulled a gun on a young Black boy who was simply walking down the street. This act of aggression and intimidation is not only morally reprehensible but may also constitute a criminal offense. I trust that you will take appropriate action to address this matter.”
The video on TikTok has garnered more than 5 million views, with many comparing the encounter to the racism seen during the Jim Crow era.
Last week, the Sarasota Police Department issued a statement on Facebook addressing a flurry of inquiries it received about the incident, clarifying that it took place outside its jurisdiction and that the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office was handling the investigation.
On Oct. 16, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office also shared a post on Facebook, saying the department was aware of the video circulating on various social media platforms of the incident in the Skye Ranch neighborhood.
