MIRAMAR, FLA. (WSVN) - Two black businesswomen shopping at a Walgreens in Miramar accused of stealing cosmetics and said they were racially profiled, and now they’re suing.
Crystal Davis and Santanna Neal were at the Walgreens near Miramar Parkway and South University Drive to buy supplies for their business. That’s when they almost ended up behind bars. They said it was all because of the color of their skin.
Surveillance video showed the two women shopping before they purchased their items on June 12. Another camera recorded them being led by two Miramar Police officers back into the store to check their purses.
Cellphone video captured the police officer rummaging through Neal’s purse. He didn’t find any stolen merchandise.
“This situation was probably the most traumatic thing that I’ve been through in my life,” Davis said.
Their attorney, Jasmine Rand, spoke about the situation on Wednesday.
“They lied. They called, and they lied to the Miramar Police Department, and they said that my clients were putting things in their handbags,” Rand said, “and when the Miramar Police Department came and very thoroughly searched their handbags, nothing was stolen.”
For both women, the whole situation was humiliating.
“I’ve never had any interaction with the police before,” Neal said, “so it was just scary.”
“I was just stripped away of everything and just made to feel like a criminal,” Davis said. “It was horrible. Words can’t describe it.”
Walgreens released a statement that reads in part, “The employees involved in this incident are no longer employed by the company. Additionally, we will be accelerating our existing unconscious bias and sensitivity training across all of our stores nationwide in the coming weeks. We have personally met with and apologized to the customers and their representatives. We take this matter very seriously and are sorry it happened.”
Rand said her clients deserve more than an apology.
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