VA Parents Outraged After Walmart Security Allegedly Suspected Father Of Kidnapping Biracial kids

[The Straight Story]

A Virginia couple was shocked to find a police officer in front of their home when they returned from running errands, but they were even more surprised by the reason for the cop's visit-- to question whether or not they were in fact their children's parents.

Joseph, a white man who didn't want his last name revealed, and his black wife Keana told Fox5DC that they were outraged after the policeman told them a security guard at their local Walmart had suspected Joseph of kidnapping his three young daughters.

"He asks us very sincerely, ‘Hey, I was sent here by Walmart security. I just need to make sure that the children that you have are your own,’” Joseph said.

"I was dumbfounded," Keana said. "I sat there for a minute and I thought, ‘Did he just ask us if these were our kids knowing what we went through to have our children?’

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/21/virginia-parents-walmart-biracial-daughters_n_3313143.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000009#slide=174912

[loli phabay]

1. i feel for the cop, as dumb as the request is he has to follow up

As to what they went through to have the kids this is irrelevant to the cop making sure nothing untoward is going on. Now unless the walmart worker saw something that mafe them suspicious other than a race thing then the issue is with the walmart worker. Funnily i was in a walmart parking lot with my daughter who refused to come with me and started having a tantrum when the guy doing the carts came over and challenged me as he thought i was snatching my daughter. Did i get upset, no i figured that it was a reasonable thing to do when a grown man is carrying a screaming child.

[Thor_MN]

2. I saw a meltdown like that in a parking lot

And was troubled by the situation. A guy walking out of the store with a child in full tantrum, kicking and screaming. What do you do? Are you witnessing an abduction, or just a parent doing the right thing and removing their screaming child from the store? I decided that his expression was an appropriate mixture of frustration, patience, embarrassment, etc. It did make me think about what an abduction would look like, and I think it would look disturbingly similar, but doubt that it would occur in a parking lot with plenty of cameras.

[telclaven]

22. I've been there

The one holding the screaming child I mean.

I keep waiting to be slide tackled by security or swarmed by HRT.

[HipChick]

3. It could be seen as racist

but it was good that they followed up..

[justiceischeap]

5. There is no "could be seen," it was racist, full stop.

Whomever contacted the police/security took it upon themselves to decide that a white man could not have black children. Yes, it was good the police followed up but were the children acting in a way that made it seem as though they were being kidnapped or were the police simply called because the kids are black (in appearance) and the father is white? That's the definition of racism right there.

[Ninga]

8. I agree. Nowhere did I read probable cause...it was NOT good that the cops "followed up"

Followed up on what? Skin color?

[justiceischeap]

24. A report was made, the police HAD to follow-up and they did

however, that the report was made in the first place is the real issue here.

[loli phabay]

27. as soon as someone reports a possible abduction then a unit will follow up

Same as if a citizen reports a reckless driver or someone suspicious in their neighbourhood.

[ieoeja]

25. Given that it was White man and Black children, who do you think was more likely to make that call?

Do you think a White customer or Black customer was more likely to have been looking out for the good of the Black kids?


Actually, I could argue that either way. A Black customer may more likely be accustomed to a multi-racial environment. But a Black customer may be more likely to watch out for the good of Black kids.

[LisaL]

6. Why is that good?

Is this family constantly going to be followed up because father is a white man with biracial children?

[Dash87]

10. The police should always follow up on kidnapping complaints.

Imo. There's no way they could have known it was bs by some racist security guard or customer.

[LisaL]

17. And the kidnapping complaint was based on what, exactly?

White man having biracial children?

[Dash87]

19. Could be. As fail-eriffic as the complaint is, though, it's probably good the police responded.

If someone called the police and said there was a purple and pink zebra dancing on their roof, I still think the police should make a token response (as they did in this case). The nuttiness of the caller or validity of the call shouldn't necessarily be determined over the phone.

The reason for this is, all police calls should be taken seriously, imo, no matter how stupid they are. It's also a problem because the police don't always get all of the information over the phone, and showing up on scene gives a better picture.

[marshall]

26. This is sexism, not racism

If this had been a white woman with bi-racial children I can guarantee you this would not have been an issue.

This is evidence of how our society views men and children. To borrow a term from John Irving, men will always be "sexual suspects" in such matters.

[justiceischeap]

4. They just don't fit...

because there are no interracial families in Woodbridge, VA or in the small-minded customers' life?

[Gormy Cuss]

20. I even wonder whether the customer was sincere in that 'concern'

or was just flat out trying to cause trouble because of his/her bigotry. Nothing surprises me when it comes to racists.

[Mr Dixon]

7. WOW

Wow this strikes near my home I live in Woodbridge (Lake ridge) VA., I also happen to be in an interracial marriage, should I be worried. ROFL

[Dash87]

9. Security guards were pretty racist. The cop had to go check though.

[Nye Bevan]

11. So adults accompanied by kids of a different race is now probable cause? (nt)

[IdaBriggs]

12. Depending on how they behaved in the store, I might have a moment -

a fleeting moment, mind - of wishing to deny maternity! Lol!

Just had a flashback moment to my darling twins at a local store when they were two. I had "pushed" them past nap time with 'just one more thing' and they had been AWESOME. We approached the check-out counter, and I had an "Idiot Mommy" moment - despite the fact they weren't reading it, they quickly recognized the "M & M" bag, and both asked VERY sweetly for some. STUPID Mommy said yes, handed them each a bag - and then took them away for "just a second" so they could be rung up. (Yes, in hindsight I could have handled this So Much Better at multiple points in this story - sigh!) Both children thought their treat was being taken away, and began screaming in outrage/crying hysterically. Now I *couldn't* give them the dratted M & Ms because I didn't want to teach them that screaming and crying would get you rewarded/your way/candy. The cashier rang us up quickly, but it wasn't fast enough. I was giving everyone apologetic looks (most of the looks back were sympathetic), and then, as I pushed the cart out, I said, "You can say 'child abuse' but you aren't getting candy while you are throwing a fit." At this point my son (thinking he was doing what was necessary for the candy) started yelling "CHILD ABUSE! CHILD ABUSE!" at the top of his lungs (while holding his hand out expectantly for the candy). This poor woman startled at me, and I gritted my teeth and said "he's still not getting candy while throwing a temper tantrum!"

My poor babies were asleep before the car left the parking lot. I love them.

(And I would like to know more about *why* the security guard called - no one came looking for us, and trust me when I say that it was "one of those moments" -- ???)

[moc]

13. My favorite mommy moment that involved a bag of M&Ms at the check out was when my then 4 year old

daughter took one of the bags off the display without asking. I told her she couldn't have them, but before I could take them out of her hands, she licked the package.

Obviously, I couldn't put the licked package of M&Ms back onto the rack. I had to buy them, but of course, I didn't give DD any of them. I ate them myself.

Smart little bugger. Still is at almost 17.

[IdaBriggs]

18. The part that was throwing me for a loop --

was the fact the little buggers couldn't READ yet - but they "recognized" the "M & M" logo (and we don't have a lot of them around our house).

LOVE your story about your DD! Hysterical! What a great little problem solver!!!

[Myrina]

14. Doesn't his authoritaaa end at the border of the Wal Mart parking lot?

Don't be following me home and creeping my family out, dude! Call the REAL cops if you have a real crime to deal with!!

[11 Bravo]

15. Ummm, that's exactly what happened.

[Myrina]

16. My bad ... I read it as the Sec Guard went to their house and asked them.

Working/DUing and looking forward to vacation all at the same time ...

[LibertyLover]

21. Although the police didn't show up at our door,

had a similar problem during a Sam's Club trip a few years ago. At the time they were the only 'shopping club' in reasonable distance from where we lived and we since we were using diapers and pull-ups for our internationally adopted daughter it made sense (and cents) to shop there. Anyway, our kidlet is from China and my husband and I are pretty boring white people. We had reached the check out line and our daughter began to whine and wiggle and misbehave as tired toddlers will. I suggested to my husband that he take her to the car and I'd check out. Since he was tired of shopping too, he readily agreed. I joined them a few minutes later to find him obviously upset. It seems that some guy in the parking lot had accused him of kidnapping her. When the guy made his accusation, my husband was sitting on the back of his jeep while our daughter was playing happily with some toys in the back, with her car seat clearly visible. My husband told the guy that she was adopted, he had a copy of her birth certificate with him (we never travel anywhere without that) and if the guy wanted to call the police, go right ahead because he could prove what he was saying. As I had approached the jeep, I saw this guy walking away looking over his shoulder at it and wondered why. He stopped when he heard our daughter call out "mommy" when seeing me.

[ieoeja]

23. As the White father of a Black/Mexican son, I would be grateful people look out for my son's good.

If it happened a lot, I would have a problem with it. But as an isolated incident I wouldn't worry about it too much.