A black woman in Michigan was fined $385 by police for talking too loud on her phone. The woman claims it all happened just because she was black.
Black woman fined $385 for “talking too loud” on phone
A black Michigan woman was fined $385 by police after she “talked too loud” on her phone.
Diamond Robinson, who received the ticket Thursday following a neighbor’s complaint, claims she was targeted because she is black.
Robinson said the woman approached her and asked, “Do you think you can put the phone down or talk quieter?”
“One of those things, she said, and I said ‘get out of my face’ and proceeded to walk past her. She’s saying, whatever she’s saying, three minutes later, Eastpointe police pull over.” Robinson told the news outlet.
Robinson began streaming live on Facebook Live, saying “I’m not doing anything wrong walking down the street talking on my phone.”
“I’m being ticketed for being a public nuisance because I’m talking too loud on my phone, is that why I’m being ticketed?” he asked.
In an update to its initial report, the media outlet said local police issued the ticket because “she could be heard from approximately 150 feet away” and she refused to speak to officers.
The force added in a statement, “Officers acted professionally when speaking with Ms. Robinson. ”
The corps now plans to facilitate mediation between Robinson and the neighbor following the incident.
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