Black Teen Detained by NYPD for Buying an Expensive Belt

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

The New York Daily News is reporting this morning that a local teen is suing the NYPD and Barneys after he was handcuffed and detained for buying an expensive belt that police officers couldn't believe a "young, black male" like him could afford.

Trayon Christian, a "fashion-forward" 19-year-old from Queens, was excited to spend his paycheck on a $350 Ferragamo belt he had been admiring, so he headed down to Barneys' flagship department store, debit card in hand.

But just moments after leaving the store with his bought-and-paid-for accessory, Trayon was stopped by two undercover NYPD cops.

"They said my card wasn’t real, it was fake. They said someone at Barneys called to report it," he told the Daily News.

Trayon told the officers he had done everything by the book: Signed his name, showed the clerk his ID. But he was handcuffed and taken into custody just the same.

"I kept thinking, ‘Why is this happening to me?'," he recalled. "The detectives were asking me, ‘How could you afford a belt like this? Where did you get this money from?'"

In the lawsuit Trayon filed, the teen says he was in a holding cell for two hours before being released with an apology.

A spokeswoman for the NYPD said Trayon was "held in police custody for approximately 42 minutes" and was released "as soon as we determined that the card was authentic."

The exact duration of his detention matters little to Trayon, who says the April 29th incident left him angry.

"Why me? I guess because I'm a young black man, and you know, people do a credit card scam so they probably thought that I was one of them," he told NBC New York. "They probably think that black people don't have money like that."

Trayon has since returned the belt to Barneys and vowed never to shop there again.

This is really jacked up, good on the kid for returning and refusing his business to their stores. I'm sure there are plenty of places in NYC that will welcome him with open arms without reporting him to the police for being a law abiding citizen

 

[Lobo]

I'd never shop there again, either. Glad he returned the belt.

 

[bullets]

That's a lot of money and hassle for a belt.

 

[Pink Ranger]

I find it appalling that it takes two (2) undercover police officers to stake out Men's Accessories at Barney's for credit card fraud. Surely there is a better use of police resources, particularly their commercial crime investigation unit, than this.

 

[enterthemadness]

Why the hell does a belt cost $350? Does it give you super powers?

 

[Pink Ranger]

Why the hell does a belt cost $350? Does it give you super powers?

Whatever the cost, it pales in comparison to the cost in taxpayer dollars to have two full-time plainclothes police officers patrol the men's counter at Barney's.

 

[chamber-music]

I can't say I'm surprised.

Better off shopping online that way he doesn't have to deal with this bs.


$350 for a belt that was probably made for $18 in some third world sweat shop.

 

[Teelie]

I think the real crime is the belt costs $350.

Seriously though this is just another example of the NYPD mishandling itself again. How many times are they going to do something this dumb and then have to backtrack before they figure out to stop doing it in the first place?

Barney's are *******s too. I'd never shop there even if I had the money to blow on ridiculously priced clothing.

 

[Thundercrack85]

Between this, the racist slurs, the beatings, and stop and frisk, the Southern Poverty Law Center really should consider designating the NYPD a hate group.

 

[CashforStash]

"My belt? JC Penny 3.98!"

 

[Asgard]

Lesson for everyday:

Dont be black and buy expensive stuff with money you earned.

Not sure if anything can come from his lawsuit but I hope they pay this dude some money for hassling him because he's black. Disgusting ********.

 

[Warhammer]

I love how after the Christian says he was in custody for 2 hours, the NYPD spokesperson said he was only locked up for 42 minutes. Like that really means anything. He shouldn't have been in custody for 1 minute. Since we all know this will be settled out of court, I hope the NYPD pays him some money. Taxpayer dollars going to the wrongly accused is better than it going to two undercover cops in a damn department store.

That last bit blows my mind.

 

[bullets]

Why the hell does a belt cost $350? Does it give you super powers?

I bet Batman's utility belt cost less.

 

[terry78]

That's what he gets for being black and having money.

 

[KevanG]

Yes, how dare anyone who isn't white and have money buy nice things. The affront of it.

That said, NYPD needs to get its **** together.

 

[terry78]

Yes, how dare anyone who isn't white and have money buy nice things. The affront of it.

That said, NYPD needs to get its **** together.

There are people that actually do believe that un-ironically.

 

[KevanG]

I know. I've met some of them.

I worked in a call center a few years back and one call out of the thousands I took really threw me. The first thing he said was "Are you a darkie?". I was literally speechless for a minute, he thought I had hung up on him. I really should have, the guy was a complete ******* trash talking everyone who wasn't exactly like him the whole time.

 

[RockSP]

That's what he gets for being black and having money.

See? See? Let one of them in the White House, and the rest start thinking they can do whatever they want...like pay ridiculous amounts for pants-holder-uppers.

 

[Steyin]

I hate the NYPD.

 

[Monsieur Xavier]

$350 for a belt that was probably made for $18 in some third world sweat shop.

No it's not. Salvatore Ferragamo is a luxury brand and designer accessories are expensive ( and their belt does look great ).

Anyway, it is really a shame that this kind of event happens, the stereotype of black people and the racism associated is even worst than in France.

 

[terry78]

Just ask Chris Tucker.

[YT]Jc1BJlkbNAQ[/YT]

 

[Monsieur Xavier]

Bad example, the driver don't like American as a whole, it was not a matter of color.
And this is pure fiction, no taxi driver speak English so good !

 

[terry78]

Haha, indeed man.

 

[chamber-music]

He should of took macklemore's advice and gone to the thrift shop

The same thing happened to young woman at Barneys

Kayla Phillips, 21, says she was swarmed by four plainclothes cops after using her debit card to buy a $2,500 orange suede Céline bag.

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/black-barneys-shopper-accused-buying-2g-purse-article-1.1494855

So it seems if your young and black you might want to avoid buying expensive items from Barneys because you will get arrested.

 

[KevanG]

Maybe we're reading this wrong.

Maybe they're just trying to stop people from making stupid purchases and get them to rethink it before the spend far more than they should on useless products!

Well, it is the NYPD so not likely.