An Oregon jury has awarded a black man $4.4 million in damages after he sued Walmart alleging racial profiling.
Michael Mangum was awarded $400,000 in non-economic damages and $4 million in punitive damages over his declare {that a} Walmart worker had adopted him round after racially profiling him and tried to have him charged by legislation enforcement.
Mangum mentioned that he was on the Walmart in Wooden Village, Oregon, on March 26, 2020, searching for a fridge lightbulb when the incident befell.
“Noticing that he was underneath surveillance by a Walmart loss prevention worker, Mangum objected, believing he was racially profiled,” a press launch from Mangum’s lawyer, Greg Kafoury, mentioned.
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At this level, Mangum was requested to depart the shop — however refused. He claimed that the worker informed him that he “would name the police and inform them that Mangum had threatened to smash him within the face,” in line with Kafoury’s assertion.
Multnomah County Sheriff’s deputies arrived on the retailer, however declined to cost Mangum as a result of worker having a historical past of submitting false studies, his authorized group mentioned.
Multnomah County Sheriff’s Shift Cmdr. Sgt. Bryan White mentioned throughout his deposition that he and his deputies have been changing into “extraordinarily pissed off with a sample of habits that they’d recognized” of the worker calling 9-1-1 to report “harmful lively conditions resembling prospects bodily assaulting him or loss prevention staff or different Walmart staff whereas making an attempt to steal after which the deputies figuring out that that by no means truly occurred.”
“Our Deputies have a good and balanced strategy to legal investigations. I’m happy with how our members responded and assessed the allegations being made on this scenario. They acknowledged inconsistencies within the caller’s report and in previous interactions,” Multnomah County Sheriff Mike Reese informed CNN in a press release.
In response to his grievance, Mangum “suffered, continues to endure, and will completely endure from embarrassment, concern, humiliation, anger, and indignity.”
Walmart referred to as the award “extreme” and denied the claims made by Mangum and his authorized group.
“Mr. Mangum was by no means stopped by Walmart’s Asset Safety. He interfered with our associates as they have been surveilling after which stopped confirmed shoplifters, after which refused to depart regardless of being requested to repeatedly by our employees and Multnomah County deputies,” spokesperson Randy Hargrove informed CNN. “We’re reviewing our choices together with post-trial motions.”
