Salehe Bembury was shopping and had just left the Versace store when he says he was approached by police after he crossed the street.
The vice president of sneakers and men’s footwear for Versace has spoken out after he says he was racially profiled by Beverly Hills police. Salehe Bembury was shopping and had just left the Versace store when he says he was approached by police after he crossed the street.
“I'm in Beverly Hills right now and I'm getting searched for shopping at the store I work for and being Black,” he said in a recording of the incident.
The entire incident was recorded on police bodycam. The officers could be seen asking Bembury for identification, without realizing he was a Versace vice president.
“You don't have any weapons or anything?” one officer asks. Bembury replies: “I don't, I’m like super nervous."
One officer compliments his sneakers, not knowing he designed them.
“Spread your feet, don't want to mess up those shoes, those are pretty nice,” the cop says.
“What's unfortunate is that I designed the shoes in this bag and I’m being searched,” Bembury says.
Bembury began recording the encounter, saying he was uncomfortable. After handing over his identification, Bembury was told he could go.
“I guess I jaywalked, so they claimed, and I’m like, whoa guys, I'm from New York, I’m used to jaywalking, my apologies," he said.
Beverly Hills Police Lt. Max Subin told Inside Edition's Lisa Guerrero that the Beverly Hills police do not enforce the law based on race.
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