The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas has asked the state attorney general to investigate an incident last year where police detained a black man moving into his new house in the middle of the night.
Karle Robinson, 61, was handcuffed by police while moving into his home at 2:30 a.m. on Aug. 19. Robinson was handcuffed in front of his home for 8 minutes after police spotted him carrying a large-screen television into his home.
Police told the Kansas City Star that they had reason to suspect a crime was taking place. Tonganoxie Police Chief Greg Lawson said police acted appropriately in the situation.
The ACLU of Kansas disagrees. The group called it a case of “moving while black” and said it shows a racial bias in the police department.
The group wrote a letter to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt accusing police of subjecting Robinson to “a campaign of surveillance and harassment.” The alleged harassment only stopped when Robinson’s case was publicized, the ACLU of Kansas said.
Robinson alleges police regularly followed him and parked in front of his house nearly every day or drove past his home multiple times per day.
“Mr. Robinson believes his detention was motivated by his race rather than reasonable suspicion that he was committing burglary,” Lauren Bonds, the interim executive director and legal director of the state ACLU, said in a statement. “It also appears that the Chief of Police prevented Mr. Robinson from filing a credible, legitimate complaint and that is not in compliance with reporting and intake standards.”
“He must not interfere with citizens registering complaints.”
