Source: Jub Rubjob / Getty
Over the weekend, a video of an innocent Black man being cuffed in front of his family went viral. He has since broken his silence on the troubling ordeal.
Jamar Mackey learned that going to the mall with his family as a Black man is another simple thing we can’t do without fear of handcuffs being slapped on us. In the video recorded by his wife, Mackey and his family were in the Lynnhaven Mall’s food court in Virginia Beach cuffed and detained by cops at Lynnhaven Mall in Virginia Beach because he “fit the description” of a person who committed credit card fraud.
According to the officer, the VBPD got a call about a Black man with dreads wearing all Black accompanied by a child wearing red who owned a black truck. Mackey’s wife points out in the video that the family does not own that type of vehicle. Mackey was escorted out of the mall and had to endure an embarrassing perp walk before he was eventually released. In the 5-minute video, Makey is understandably irate and yells, “this is why people are protesting for Black Lives Matter.”
Arrested For Being Black With Dread Part 1/3
“YOU FIT THE DESCRIPTION!”
Lynnhaven Mall, Virginia Beach pic.twitter.com/Z5ZvU617Tc
— Black First (@Blac1st) December 20, 2020
Mackey has now spoken out on the incident calling it a “very traumatic experience” and “he wouldn’t wish it on anyone,” TMZ reports. Mackey says that since the video has gone viral, both he and his family have been getting an “overwhelming amount of support.” He has been thanking people personally who have been sending him messages of support. Mackey says he is just looking forward to getting back to a “sense of normalcy” so he and his family can enjoy the holiday season.
VBPD Chief Paul Neudigate has apologized for the incident and says the department is “still gathering facts and video” before releasing a full analysis breaking down what happened, even though we all seen it with our own eyes. Neudigate also says, “it’s too early to say if the officer was right or wrong” and that a “third party may have identified the man to police as a potential suspect.”
The VBPD says the officers were not wearing body cams and points out that they should have been wearing masks. NewsOne is reporting that the NAACP pointed out the fact the officers were mask-less while detaining Mackey.
It looks like the VBPD is going to have to open up the checkbook after this ridiculous incident.
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Photo: Jub Rubjob / Getty
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