The Missouri high school students were shopping for their upcoming prom.
Nordstrom Rack has issued an apology after three black teens were wrongly accused of theft at one of the company's Missouri locations.
High school students Mekhi Lee, Dirone Taylor and Eric Rogers II were all shopping for prom outfits when they told KMOV they noticed they were being watched.
"Every time we move, they move," Lee recalled in an interview with the station.
When the teens left, the situation escalated.
As they exited the store, the teens were surrounded by Brentwood police.
Rogers said police showed a level of understanding they did not see in the store and "were just doing their job."
However, while they were still inside, the teens say a customer called them punks and a scuffle subsequently unfolded.
Now that its become clear the teens weren't shoplifting, Nordstrom Rack has issued an apology as the St. Louis chapter of the NAACP says it intends to become involved in the situation.
"We did not handle this situation well and we apologized to these young men and their families," the company said in a statement. "We want all customers to feel welcome when they shop with us and we do not tolerate discrimination of any kind."
The president of Nordstrom Rack, Geevy Thomas, has flown to St. Louis to personally apologize to the teens.
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