His only crime was being a young black guy buying a $300 belt': Queens student arrested after buying Ferragamo belt sues Barneys
- Trayon Christian, 19, taken to NYPD precinct despite using his own debit card and ID at the upscale Manhattan store
- The college student, who lives with his mom in Queens, New York, had saved up from his part-time job to buy the Salvatore Ferragamo belt
- Mr Christian is suing Barneys and NYPD for unspecified damages
However once he had paid for the belt and had left Barneys, the fashion-loving teen was grabbed by undercover officers on the street.
According to the civil rights lawsuit, the 19-year-old was asked 'how a young black man such as himself could afford to purchase such an expensive belt. Uhmmmm...
Read on...
The Officers took the teenager, who is an engineering freshman at the NYC College of Technology, to a local precinct.
He was told to show his Identification. Mr Christian once again showed his ID, debit card and receipt for the belt.
The Officers still refused to believe the teenager.
'In spite of producing such documentation Christian was told that his identification was false and that he could not afford to make such an expensive purchase,'
Finally Chase bank was contacted who verified that the debit card belonged to Mr Christian.
It was only then that he was allowed to go after spending two hours in a holding cell, the suit claims.
( Harlem rapper Juelz Santana pictured right wearing the belt coveted by his teenage Fan )
The NYPD denied this and said the student was only held for 42 minutes.
The student, who has no history of arrests, said that he will never shop at Barneys again following the incident.
The teenager, who now works at Target, told the News: 'I brought the belt back to Barneys a few days later and returned it. I got my money back, I’m not shopping there again. It’s cruel. It’s racist.
I am not talking sides with anyone yet, so many things stands out for me in all this drama. Determination, steadfastness integrity, hardwork and a sense of responsibility from both the system and the individual.
Anyways, this is why this platform id here, I will appreciate your reaction to this incidence, since it had become a norm in which black faces. Also will appreciate if anyone who ever encounter such incidence should share their experiences.
For comments and observation!
