Raymond and Nekeeya Brewster were accused of stealing children’s clothes from a Walmart in Jacksonville’s Northside neighborhood.
A Black Jacksonville couple wants to hold Walmart accountable after the duo faced false accusations of stealing at one of its stores.
In October, Raymond and Nekeeya Brewster were accused of stealing children’s clothes from a Walmart in Jacksonville’s Northside neighborhood. They decided to return the items the following day, but Nekeeya stated she was unaware of the best course of action to do so.
“She decided the smart thing to do was to put the clothes and the receipt for the clothes in the original Walmart bag, and then tie that bag shut,” detailed the suit obtained by News4Jax.
Before heading to the register to return the clothes, Nekeeya put the bag in the cart and went to the department to find the correct size. She hoped to purchase the better-fitting item while obtaining a refund.
However, while at customer service, someone with Walmart’s loss prevention claimed that she put something in her bag. The couple was with their children, including a baby held in the Nekeeya’s arms, at the time as well.
Despite trying to show the receipt, the employee still insisted that cameras caught them putting a pair of maroon pants illegally in their bag. Jacksonville police also arrived and “required” the entire family to enter a small front office at the store for further investigation.
However, the JSO officers questioned the employee on why they were not notified about the receipt. The police allowed the family to leave after the hour-long ordeal.
The store did not provide the footage that backed the employee’s claims of Mrs. Brewster stealing. The situation left the married couple feeling “humiliated,” leading them to file a discrimination lawsuit against the retail giants.
“I go there all the time, shop there all the time, and what happened to us was unimaginable,” continued Raymond Brewster. “I never expected that to happen.”
Their lawsuit seeks damages among other fees for claims ranging from profiling, wrongful imprisonment, and defamation.
The news also comes after Walmart received backlash from the Black community over its rollback on DEI initiatives and practices. The company will no longer conduct racial equity training for employees, a move that could potentially lead to more instances of racial profiling.
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Source: Black Enterprise
