People on social media are saying a Los Angeles beauty supply store went overboard while escorting out an elderly Black customer whom they suspected of stealing.
In an August Instagram video posted by FiguerouaFacts, an Asian shop owner wields a metal grabber as he shouts and curses outside his Compton-area storefront, accusing the older man of theft.
Suddenly, another employee grabbed the man’s plastic shopping bag and, in a tug-of-war, dragged him back into the store.
The bag ripped, spilling the contents across the floor, as employees began picking up the items. But the man and a good Samaritan who stepped in said he stole none of the products, and none came from the store.
“That sh-t ain’t even yours,” a woman shouted at the employees.
Addressing the man, she said, “Get your stuff and make sure they don’t hit you. C’mon, because they better not hit you with an [expletive] thing.”
The woman kept warning the employees to back off as he struggled to gather his belongings. He eventually left and asked the woman if she wanted something from his bag as a thank-you.
Many commenters online speculated that he was a street peddler who had been caught trying to steal a wig from the shop, pointing to a moment in the scuffle when he said, “I gave you your wig back.” But those claims are unsubstantiated.
Even if the store had reason to be suspicious, the way things played out struck a nerve with many viewers. Chasing someone out with a metal pole in hand and yanking his bag apart isn’t exactly how most people expect an employee to handle suspected shoplifting.
California lets shop owners briefly detain a suspected thief, but only with good reason and without using more force than necessary. Brandishing a metal pole and ripping a man’s bag apart over a mere suspicion is hard to defend.
On Atlanta Black Star’s official Instagram, commenters urged shoppers to boycott the store and always “Buy Black!!!!” in a rallying cry to support Black-owned businesses.
At least one person suggested going a step further: “Shoulda called the police on them for assault. That’s insane. Stop giving these places your business.”
People also heaped praise on those who came to the man’s aid.
One fan enthused: “I love how the Queens stepped [in] for the old man.”
Another agreed: “Thank you for sticking up for him, even if he’s wrong, they not right.”
