Black actresses claim they were arrested for taking too long to use a restaurant bathroom

[Sedona]

Source: Newsweek

Three black actresses claim they were arrested at a restaurant in Atlanta, Georgia, for allegedly taking too long in the restroom.

Erica Walker, Brittany Marie Lucio and Asia'h Sharrell Epperson asked to use the restroom at Houston's Restaurant in Atlanta on May 13. According to a police report obtained by Newsweek, an off-duty Atlanta Police Department officer who also worked at Houston's was asked by the shift manager to remove the women from the bathroom because it was after 10 p.m. and they had been asked to leave twice.

The officer stated that he found the three women using their cell phones when he walked into the restroom. When he asked the women to leave, they ignored him and laughed when asked to leave by the officer a second time. After asking a third time, the officer grabbed Lucio's wrist and asked the shift manager to open the back door. Lucio asked the officer to "let go" and slipped away from the officer's grip before saying, "Get your hands off of me."

snip

"The Atlanta Police Department is aware of the excessive force accusations made by the arrestees and the Office of Professional Standards has opened an investigation into [the] entire incident for appropriate action and whether proper procedures were followed," the statement read.

Read more: http://www.newsweek.com/houstons-restaurant-atlanta-georgia-bathroom-940592

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Video & photos at link

[appalachiablue]

1. Was 911 Woman involved? POS

[YOHABLO]

2. Actresses?

[Sedona]

3. Yes, Ms. Epperson works with my husband here in Atlanta

They are just wrapping up season 3 of Greenleaf on the OWN network.

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2923798/

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4971144/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_2

[Amaryllis]

4. Using a cell phone while black. Very suspicious.

[catrose]

5. I guess they didn't want to make a call in public

in case a cop thought it was a gun.

[forgotmylogin]

6. I understand them being asked to leave if it was after closing...

...and if they were just socializing in the bathroom. Customers lingering after closing is a *huge* annoyance in retail. When I worked in a bookstore, we were scheduled to stay an extra hour after close to straighten up the store, and we would have customers who wouldn't leave the magazines and the cafe sometimes 20-30 minutes past closing - especially the bathrooms because we didn't want anyone to hide out when we had the doors locked.

We weren't allowed to turn our attention from customers until the store was declared clear because we didn't want to lose track of someone who might intend to pop up after hours when the staff dwindled to try and rob the place while the registers were all open and being counted down.

What I always did was walk up to people in the magazine department who were still reading after 10, notify them that the store was closed and they were welcome to take any purchases to the registers where we would be happy to check them out. Usually they'd mumble "uh-huh" and ignore me. I would stand and stare at them, repeating my request (sometimes 10-20 times) till they got the idea. I could be *really* annoying when it was time to leave.

We never had to call the cops though, but we always had 10-15 people working at close so we were never outnumbered. The cops shouldn't have needed to use excessive force, but why would anyone ignore an employee telling them "Hey, the store's closed, would you wrap it up and move toward the exit please?" It would be different if they were still doing their business or one of them was sick.

[Sedona]

7. They were invited in

And calling a Lyft car to come get them. There were other customers still dining when they were arrested.

Attorney Gerald A. Griggs, who is representing the women, told Newsweek that the three had friends inside the restaurant and had been told by the hostess that the kitchen was closed. When the women asked if they could use the restroom, the hostess said yes. The women, he said, used the bathroom for about 7 to 10 minutes and were using their cell phones to order a Lyft to leave the restaurant. 

[forgotmylogin]

8. Ah, okay, that's different.

There's no reason they shouldn't have been able to sit with their friends until they left.

[Tarheel_Dem]

9. I'm not sure how to feel about this. If they were courteously asked to leave, and it was after....

closing, then I understand the management's annoyance. Having worked in restaurants when I was much younger, it's a pain scheduling closing staff, and someone has to clean up when the last customers leave. Depending on how the actresses were approached by management, it's just the considerate thing to do to accede to their request. The restaurant staff most likely have families they need to get home to.

Maybe there's more to this story, but for now, three requests seems to be ample warning.

[Sedona]

10. Please see reply 7

.

[Tarheel_Dem]

13. I figured there was much more to the story than was contained in the o.p. Didn't realize there....

were still customers eating. Makes much more sense now.

[marble falls]

11. So way past the time for this shit to just plain stop. Just stop.

[YOHABLO]

12. When these situations arise, it's always about how they are handled. This could all have been

AVOIDED ..by proper managerial skills.

[dembotoz]

14. closing time

[left-of-center2012]

15. They were asked five times to leave

From the linked article:

... an off-duty Atlanta Police Department officer who also worked at Houston's was asked by the shift manager to remove the women from the bathroom because it was after 10 p.m. and they had been asked to leave twice (by the managers).

When he asked the women to leave, they ignored him
and laughed when asked to leave by the officer a second time.
After asking a third time, the officer grabbed (Brittany Marie) Lucio’s wrist ...

(By now they had been asked five times to leave)

Lucio asked the officer to “let go” and slipped away from the officer’s grip before saying,
“Get your hands off of me.”
“get your f**cking hands off me! You ain’t about to touch me.”

According to the report, Lucio punched the officer in the mouth and head,
which is when he called 911 for backup.
....................................
So after being asked five times to leave, one of the women punches the cop in the mouth and head?

[Demsrule86]

19. That is the cop's story...don't always believe them...I will wait and see.

[left-of-center2012]

17. "calling a Lyft car to come get them"

I've used Uber and Lyft hundreds of times over the past several years.
They usually show up in about 5 - 7 minutes.

Not once have I ever gone into a bathroom to call for one,
and waited in the bathroom for the car to show up.

You need to be where you can see it arrive.
After a couple minutes wait, the driver can leave without you,
and you will be charged.

After being asked five times to leave,
they should have gone outside to watch for their Lyft car to pick them up,
instead of refusing to leave the bathroom.

As Judge Judy says:
"If it doesn't make sense, it's not right".

[Demsrule86]

20. Not in Atlanta. I have used both in Atlanta.

[Lil Missy]

18. Several times asked to leave, and ignored it. Time to take your phone calls outside the building.

[Demsrule86]

21. And of course the question is would the manager have sent the police after a white customer or would

they have handled it in a more reasonable way?