VANDERGRIFT, Pa. A police officer from Vandergrift is under fire for a video that shows how he confronts a black man and does not tell him why.
Marcus Townsend, the man who was confronted by the officer in the G&G Restaurant on Saturday morning, said he believed he was racially profiled.
Townsend (20) took the video himself and it quickly started spreading on social media.
According to Townsend, the officer walked up and started asking questions about his girlfriend’s service dog.
“He just came in and had a problem with the dog at first. He did not want the dog in there. He wanted to see service papers. We do not have service papers. It’s just not necessary, ”Townsend said.
Townsend said he asked his girlfriend to take the dog home while he continued to fix things. That’s when things increased.
‘When the dog went home, I pulled out my phone, because then he started talking, you know, you smoke cloth outside the restaurant. I was like, ‘No, I did not smoke. I came here to eat, ” Townsend said.
Townsend is heard on the video and repeatedly asked the officer what he did. He showed the officer his ID, but it was not good enough.
The officer began asking Townsend to leave, claiming he had been called to the restaurant for him.
“When I got outside, he put me down and basically wanted a criminal background, he wanted to see if I had warrants,” Townsend said.
When the officer realized that Townsend was clear, he still ordered him off the property and said the driver did not want him there.
Townsend returned to the restaurant 40 minutes later and the manager welcomed him and even took a photo with him.
“I don’t think it would have been the same if I were white if I did not have the dreadlocks and tattoos,” Townsend said.
The owners of G & G Restaurant said they have no idea what is going on or why the police are being called to their business. They reiterated that they never asked Townsend to leave.
Channel 11 News went to the Vandergrift police station for answers, but it was said that the chief would only be on Monday and that he may declare the only person.
Emails to the officer concerned and the city council received no response.