Indiana Cop Reportedly Fired After Stopping Two Black Shoppers Because They Were Acting ”Suspicious

According to HuffPost, an off duty Indiana police officer, who was working security at a Nordstrom Rack, was fired after the harassment of two Black shoppers went viral.

Lawrence Township Deputy Constable Daryl Jones stopped cousins Durell Cunningham and Aaron Blackwell as they drove out of the parking lot of the Nordstrom Rack store. The incident was filmed by Blackwell and shared on the internet. Chief Constable Terry Burns reportedly fired Jones immediately after viewing the video.

“He was terminated last night when the video was brought to my attention. I did see the video and made the decision immediately, and that pretty speaks of my reaction,” Burns allegedly stated.

The incident happened on Nov. 12, in which the two men began filming as Jones approached their car. The men alleged that Jones watched them make purchases and yet decided to follow them. In the viral clip, Jones asks for a driver’s license without any probable cause. When the two cousins asked why, Jones replied, “Because I told you to.”

The two men asked for a supervisor while Jones repeatedly asked for ID. “I got my rights to do anything I want to do; I’m a police officer,” Jones said. When they asked the officer why he was stopping them, he said they were acting ”suspicious.”

When Jones called for backup, an Indianapolis police officer arrived on the scene and spoke with Jones near the vehicle. After a short talk with the officer, Jones told both men that were free to go. Jones walked away and refused to give them his name. The officer that was called over said the men that he didn’t know Jones, but there was no reason to stop them. He told them that Jones was also required to identify himself.