Employees of a Chase bank in Tampa, Florida, allegedly called the police on a Black customer waiting for the bank to open, claiming he looked suspicious. The man set his phone to capture both himself and the police officer who approached him while he was sitting in his car. In the clip, later posted on TikTok, the officer told the customer that the employees called because they were concerned about him just sitting there.
The man in the car tried to explain his confusion, clarifying that he was waiting for the bank to open up for business. He noted that it was his only bank and he had been there several times, bringing out a wad of cash to drive home his point. The officer explained that people sitting outside the bank were enough cause for alarm because it could pose a security risk, but the customer pointed out that he was not the only person out there. However, he was the only person reported to be “suspicious.”
The policeman then said he could not see the other person waiting in his car across the parking lot. The customer stated that when the employees parked their cars and walked past him, they all gave him a second glance, but he was surprised that they called the cops on him. The officer walked away, saying he would let the employees know that he was a customer and there was no cause for alarm.
Public Reaction To Institutional Bias And Selective Policing
Viewers stormed the comments with collective deep-seated frustration with the perceived double standard in institutional security. A user highlighted the contradiction between lived experience and social denial, writing, “And they say systemic racism is a hoax.“ Another user noted that people who face the constant bias are getting exhausted, while others pretend these issues no longer exist. An individual suggested that the customer should move his money and close his account so the staff would not have to be bothered by his presence anymore.
Another demanded that the customer file a lawsuit, saying the act was clearly a case of discrimination. An observer highlighted the absurdity of the officer claiming not to see the other person, despite the customer pointing them out clearly. Another user gave a cynical breakdown of the term “suspicious,” saying it was only attached to anyone who was not a white man. A critic suggested that the police officer was just as biased: “The cop was on the same bs as the bank smh.” A user offered a logical explanation for the incident, calling it standard procedure: “This happens all the time, it’s normal. The manager is just doing her job looking out for her customers.“
The reactions to the clip show that while a few users attempted to justify it as standard policy, the prevailing narrative was the shared concern about the bias people of color face daily.
