A man in Bakersfield, California, is claiming that he was recently a victim of racial profiling at a local grocery store on Union Avenue after a security guard allegedly singled him out for looking “suspicious” and accused him of theft, according to his account. The incident reportedly happened inside a Superior Groceries store, where the content creator had gone to shop with a female friend of his one evening.
After being inside for no more than 15 minutes, the man claims that a security guard approached him and demanded that he open his jacket. Although the customer was initially confused by the request, he first complied and then asked the guard what the issue was. The guard allegedly responded that he looked “suspicious” and had been in the store for too long.
The man quickly disputed the guard’s claim, explaining that he had not even spent nearly half an hour shopping with his friend. However, that appeared to do little to resolve the situation because when the guard learned that he had come to the store with a companion, he allegedly began pressing him about his friend’s whereabouts.
More on What Happened
The man eventually brought the guard over to his friend, and when she learned what was going on, she also began insisting that her friend had done nothing wrong.
Still, the security guard remained adamant that he did not believe that the shopper had come into the store with good intentions. Because of that, the man claims that he was ultimately forced to leave the store afterward, though it remains unclear whether his friend was also asked to leave.
In the TikTok video where he narrated the incident, the man said he believed race played a central role in how he was treated. He pointed out that he is Black and was shopping in a predominantly Mexican grocery store, stating plainly that he felt he was singled out because of how he looked. “I just felt like this place was racially profiling me,” he said, adding that his clothing — specifically wearing a hoodie — appeared to make him a target.
How People Are Reacting to the California Man’s Claims
In the comments section, netizens had mixed reactions to what allegedly transpired between the customer and the security guard. Some viewers said they understood the guard’s concerns, while still criticizing how the situation was handled. One person wrote, “I mean you can’t blame him knowing [very] well what’s been happening tho but again him kicking you out is wild 💯💯💯.”
Others reacted more angrily, condemning the guard’s actions outright. Another commenter said, “I’d be waiting for his [expletive] to get off his lame security job and catch him in the parking lot 💯.”
