Johnny Martinez works for a company that boots illegally parked cars and says that he was just doing his job, when the mother and son confronted him, demanding that he identify himself.
A mother and son are being called a “Karen duo” after an interaction with a Black worker in their Tennessee apartment building’s parking garage went viral.
Johnny Martinez works for a company that boots illegally parked cars and says that he was just doing his job, when the mother and son confronted him, demanding that he identify himself.
“The first thing that came out of her mouth was, ‘How did you get in here? What are you doing here?’” Martinez said. “And when I said, 'I’m working, checking cars,' she said, 'No, you don’t work here. You don’t belong here.'"
Martinez was wearing a headlamp, ID badge, a company T-shirt and knee pads, and the mother and son still found him suspicious.
“Immediately, I thought I was being racially profiled,” Martinez told Inside Edition.
Martinez said he refused to show them his ID.
“I couldn’t oblige. I could not submit to that. I can’t be a part of a culture that they demand that you show them your papers, basically, and then you reinforce that behavior,” Martinez said.
Out of nowhere, the son tried to knock the phone out of Martinez’s hand, and a scuffle broke out. The mom called 911.
When cops arrived and looked at the video, they arrested the son on assault charges.
“They really believe in their mind that they have a right to just stop any person of color,” Martinez said.
