A woman is fighting for justice after Zara employees accused her of trying to shoplift.
The woman, who goes by “Shamika S” or “Glam By Mika,” posted a video of part of the interaction in a store in the Atlanta suburb of Dunwoody on Instagram on Sunday.
In the video, a security guard and an employee are seen looking through Shamika’s bag.
“They’re saying I stole a skirt,” she told the camera.
“When you walked out, this is what popped up,” the security guard said, holding up a phone with a picture of a red skirt.
At one point, the security guard asked Shamika if she was wearing it.
“Do I have it on?” she asked.
“That’s what I’m asking,” the security guard replied.
“Do I have it on? Are you serious?”
Shamika wrote in the caption that she had spent $350 before the security guard accused her of shoplifting.
“He got loud, snatched the bag out of my hands, took it to the front of the store, and dumped everything out in front of everyone,” she wrote. “I was completely embarrassed and humiliated. What I asked for was a manager; I was told to ‘calm down’ instead of being treated with respect.”
Shamika goes on to say that what happened to her was because she was Black.
“And what’s even worse, this isn’t an isolated situation,” she wrote. “I literally just witnessed them chase another girl through the mall on TikTok just to find out she didn’t steal anything.
She is referring to an incident at a Zara in Lynwood, Washington, last week.
A wild chase broke out after workers suspected a Black woman of shoplifting.
A video of the chase caught at least four Zara employees racing through the mall, after they believed the woman stole a pink dress. She now plans to file charges.
“Time to give Zara that Target energy period tf,” @itsme.lanise commented on Shamika’s video. “Return everything and stop shopping where you’re not respected,” @nikkiiame added.
“Oh, Zara trying to go out of business, I see,” @theshelahmarie added.
“Anybody treat you like this, refund everything!! Do not patronize these establishments because this is becoming [a] pattern,” @reetabee wrote.
Shamika issued another video Sunday night saying she did return the items. She said she also filed a police report.
Dunwoody police told the Atlanta Black Star they are not aware of any report being filed regarding a shoplifting accusation from this past weekend.
The Atlanta Black Star has reached out to Shamika and Zara for comment. Neither has responded.
