Black man in Ohio trying to cash paycheck is handcuffed after bank teller calls 911

[Kal'Stang]

As a matter of fact I have had a similar incident. About 13 years ago I was running low on cash flow and asked my mom if she could help me out with my car payment. I was a month behind already and my next payment was coming due. The car was worth more than I owed so I certainly didn't want it repossessed. My mom was nice enough to write a check for about 550$ to cover the two months worth of car payments. I assumed she wrote the check out to me to cash so I could put it in my bank to cover the payments. However, she actually made the check out directly to Toyota and I didn't bother to really look at it closely because I had a job interview and my mind was elsewhere. Prior to my Job interview I went by my moms bank, signed the back of the check, put my driver's license in the tube and asked her to give me cash for it. She took an inordinate amount of time to process the transaction. Suddenly 2 police cruisers screamed into the parking lot, blocked off my vehicle and had me get out of my vehicle at gunpoint. They made me lay down in my suit and tie on a greasy parking lot and place my hands behind my head. They then approached me and a big monkey of a cop put his knee on the the back of my head and neck and smashed my face into the asphalt as another about twisted my arm off handcuffing my hands behind my back. All while demanding I stay still. How are you supposed to stay still with one guy crushing your skull and neck while another is twisting your arm off. I ended up having a dislocated shoulder. Scrapes all over my face. My neck and head hurt for a week. The paramedic reset my shoulder on the scene. I can't even begin to describe the pain of a dislocated shoulder. They called my mom to inform her someone with her same last name had tried to cash a check on her account. She came down to the bank and cleared up the misunderstanding. I chose not to go to the hospital. I just got cleaned up as best I could and went to the interview limp arm, greasy clothes and all.

By the way, I'm Caucasian. So we don't necessarily know this was a case of racism. Stories such as these are designed to inflame certain demographics in an attempt to motivate them politically. I would be willing to bet there was something other than his race which led her to believe the check was fraudulent. I'd wait to pass judgement until it is investigated to see if there was more to it.

Thank you for your story. I had heard of it happening before in my small town with white people but did not want to bring it up as my anecdotes were 3rd and 4th hand. Yours gives a first hand direct knowledge which belies all the people saying that it would not happen to whites.

You are correct that we don't know for sure whether or not racism played a part in this. But just going off of the article I'd have to say it didn't. If some evidence comes along that does show it was racially motivated then I have no problem changing my stance.

 

[Kal'Stang]

Would the bank teller have called 911 if the customer was WHITE? I don't think so.

This is yet ANOTHER example of trump's racist ameriKKKa. You far right white supremacists can dismiss these cases all you like but since trump , these police calls have increased a hundredfold.

I am just glad the black guy wasn't shot dead by the trigger happy police.

Why don't you ask LibDave after reading his personal account in post 73?

 

[Bum]

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-new...paycheck-handcuffed-after-bank-teller-n949986

The bank teller wrongly believed the man's paycheck was fraudulent. Reports of the incident have sparked a new hashtag, #BankingWhileBlack.

An Ohio man trying to cash his paycheck from a new job was handcuffed and put in the back of a police car after a bank teller called 911 on the false belief the check was fraudulent.

Now the bank is apologizing as reports of the incident have sparked a new hashtag, #BankingWhileBlack.
===========================================
#BankingWhileBlack - in Ohio. I think this might merit a lawsuit. Open discrimination in a 'northern' state.

I think that gentleman is about to get a much bigger check to cash.

 

[Middle_Ground]

Thank you for your story. I had heard of it happening before in my small town with white people but did not want to bring it up as my anecdotes were 3rd and 4th hand. Yours gives a first hand direct knowledge which belies all the people saying that it would not happen to whites.

You are correct that we don't know for sure whether or not racism played a part in this. But just going off of the article I'd have to say it didn't. If some evidence comes along that does show it was racially motivated then I have no problem changing my stance.

The sad part about this whole thing and I don't discount your story libdave...is we have become a quasi police state for the regular every day joe....
Personally as a black person...I've seen more inherent bias than racism. Most people don't have to have a personal experience to have a bias. It's in our movies, music in the last 10 years our politics. It is what it is.
Black man young or old= scary thug, if not a criminal will be.
White man young or old=authority, if a criminal or addict oh they made a mistake.
Any uniform (to white people) = good character, moral, authority no harm will come to me as long as a uniform is present.
To many black people any uniform= problem, I might not make it out with my life (that's black or white wearing that uniform)
We are country that until we actually acknowledge there is bias we will never come to terms with it.

 

[Kal'Stang]

The sad part about this whole thing and I don't discount your story libdave...is we have become a quasi police state for the regular every day joe....
Personally as a black person...I've seen more inherent bias than racism. Most people don't have to have a personal experience to have a bias. It's in our movies, music in the last 10 years our politics. It is what it is.
Black man young or old= scary thug, if not a criminal will be.
White man young or old=authority, if a criminal or addict oh they made a mistake.
Any uniform (to white people) = good character, moral, authority no harm will come to me as long as a uniform is present.
To many black people any uniform= problem, I might not make it out with my life (that's black or white wearing that uniform)
We are country that until we actually acknowledge there is bias we will never come to terms with it.

There is ALWAYS going to be biases. We can't stop those no matter what is said or done. They are literally a part of human nature as much as any DNA or skin color or eye color. Even your own post here shows evidence of bias.

As a white person I have never thought "Black man young or old= scary thug, if not a criminal will be." or the reverse that you say "White man young or old=authority, if a criminal or addict oh they made a mistake.". Hell, that last one would make me a hypocrite being as I was a criminal. What I did WAS criminal and it was through choices that I made. I own full responsibility for the acts I did. And the only authority that I have is that bit of authority that a parent has. Beyond that, I have jack all for authority.

Are there people that believe the things that you said? Most definitely. But I would bet that such is a small minority and not near as wide spread as the news media would like us to believe.

I have a fondness for watching youtube videos that show the perspective of various people on various things. One that I have been watching lately is of a British guy that has been living in America for the past 10 years. The video's he makes is about his experiences in the US and he generally speaks towards British viewers. In them he is often telling his British viewers that many of their conceptions of Americans (ex: All Americans are loud and/or arrogant) are actually fairly wrong. While yes, Americans can be loud, they are no more loud than British folks. And that its not arrogance but a directness. Anyways, the point of what I just said is that many of our biases are based on perceptions that we have...but perceptions can be wrong, which of course means that the bias is wrong since its based off of that perception. I try very hard (fail sometimes admittedly) to always judge things and people based on individual things and people. Lumping entire groups together is generally a good way to have someone come up and say "but I....". There are always exceptions to every "rule". The degree is usually what is at question.

 

[Lovebug]

So the teller called 911 because the guy is black or because the check looked fraudulent? Other than the article title, the rest of the article doesn't make that clear.

 

[Tim the plumber]

McCowns was leaving, without having gotten his check cashed, when he was approached by police, told to get out of his car, handcuffed and put in the back of a police cruiser.

It turns out that as he was on his way out, a bank employee had called 911.

“He’s trying to cash a check and the check is fraudulent. It does not match our records," the employee is heard telling the 911 operator in the recording obtained by NBC News.

“Does he know you called 9-1-1?” the operator asked.

The employee responded: “No.”

The police report said officers were able to get in touch with McCowns' employer who confirmed that his check was real.

The next day, McCowns cashed the check at another Huntington branch, the bank said.

A spokesman for Huntington Bank told NBC News on Wednesday that it sincerely apologizes to McCowns for "this extremely unfortunate event."


So a mistake was made by the bank. Nothing to do with race.... The police dept did their job as they should. A truly nothing story.
The bank made a mistake and they sincerely apologized for that mistake.

Er.. yes...

Why the cuffs? I know you Yanks like 'em but....?

 

[Middle_Ground]

There is ALWAYS going to be biases. We can't stop those no matter what is said or done. They are literally a part of human nature as much as any DNA or skin color or eye color. Even your own post here shows evidence of bias.

As a white person I have never thought "Black man young or old= scary thug, if not a criminal will be." or the reverse that you say "White man young or old=authority, if a criminal or addict oh they made a mistake.". Hell, that last one would make me a hypocrite being as I was a criminal. What I did WAS criminal and it was through choices that I made. I own full responsibility for the acts I did. And the only authority that I have is that bit of authority that a parent has. Beyond that, I have jack all for authority.

Are there people that believe the things that you said? Most definitely. But I would bet that such is a small minority and not near as wide spread as the news media would like us to believe.

I have a fondness for watching youtube videos that show the perspective of various people on various things. One that I have been watching lately is of a British guy that has been living in America for the past 10 years. The video's he makes is about his experiences in the US and he generally speaks towards British viewers. In them he is often telling his British viewers that many of their conceptions of Americans (ex: All Americans are loud and/or arrogant) are actually fairly wrong. While yes, Americans can be loud, they are no more loud than British folks. And that its not arrogance but a directness. Anyways, the point of what I just said is that many of our biases are based on perceptions that we have...but perceptions can be wrong, which of course means that the bias is wrong since its based off of that perception. I try very hard (fail sometimes admittedly) to always judge things and people based on individual things and people. Lumping entire groups together is generally a good way to have someone come up and say "but I....". There are always exceptions to every "rule". The degree is usually what is at question.

Sorry I left out a word in my post "many" because you are right not everyone feels the same in any group and I also try to look at individual situations and not have a preconceived reaction.
But I'll give you an example of 2 families that lived next to...
One a white family great people the grandmother of the family taught my children to swim, and my younger daughter how to make the best chocolate cake and brownies.
There daughter in law died in a traffic accident, 2 sons they had tons of support great dad uncles, aunts, neighbors evertine... they both ended up addicts, robbed every house on the block except mine. I know it was because my husband told them you come in here I'm not calling the cops..anyway 15 years later multiple charges they both are fine got good jobs with the state.
Black family only lived there for about 3 years. Both parents heroin addicts, lots of drama, police involvement etc.
One son at 17 got arrested for selling drugs 5 years in jail. He came out tried to get a job, tried to go to school...he could only work minimum wage McDonalds type jobs not enough to have his own place, so he moved back in with drug addict mom. He's doing 15 years now for his mother's boyfriends drugs. He couldn't get any education because you can not get financial aid if you have a drug felony.
At 17 years old life destroyed.
The girls became addicts and prostitutes, the other son took his life.
To me that's bias. Where was the help for the black kids when they started down the slippery slope. Why was their no community help? Why did that 17 year old get 5 years while the other 2 never even got a felony?
Sure we all have bias but in should not be allowed to infiltrate our systems and as we become more and more accustomed to calling 911 it should definitely not be in our law or justice systems.

 

[Kal'Stang]

Sorry I left out a word in my post "many" because you are right not everyone feels the same in any group and I also try to look at individual situations and not have a preconceived reaction.
But I'll give you an example of 2 families that lived next to...
One a white family great people the grandmother of the family taught my children to swim, and my younger daughter how to make the best chocolate cake and brownies.
There daughter in law died in a traffic accident, 2 sons they had tons of support great dad uncles, aunts, neighbors evertine... they both ended up addicts, robbed every house on the block except mine. I know it was because my husband told them you come in here I'm not calling the cops..anyway 15 years later multiple charges they both are fine got good jobs with the state.
Black family only lived there for about 3 years. Both parents heroin addicts, lots of drama, police involvement etc.
One son at 17 got arrested for selling drugs 5 years in jail. He came out tried to get a job, tried to go to school...he could only work minimum wage McDonalds type jobs not enough to have his own place, so he moved back in with drug addict mom. He's doing 15 years now for his mother's boyfriends drugs. He couldn't get any education because you can not get financial aid if you have a drug felony.
At 17 years old life destroyed.
The girls became addicts and prostitutes, the other son took his life.
To me that's bias. Where was the help for the black kids when they started down the slippery slope. Why was their no community help? Why did that 17 year old get 5 years while the other 2 never even got a felony?
Sure we all have bias but in should not be allowed to infiltrate our systems and as we become more and more accustomed to calling 911 it should definitely not be in our law or justice systems.

There are those that would call what you just described as "white privilege".

But is it really?

From the description you gave the white family has been in that area for a long time. They'd established themselves. Had made lots of friends. They had a history with that area. And they used that to help get their sons back on the right path. Where as the black family was not established in that area. Had few, if any, friends. No other family members in the area. No history with the area. And as such did not have the resources available to get that 17 year old back on the right path.

I don't consider this an example of white privilege (NOT saying that is what you were calling it, just speaking towards those that think it is). I consider this an example of class privilege. Or as you call it a bias. A bias in favor of an established family over that of a family that had not "proved" themselves to the community.

I agree with you that there should be, should have been, something in place to help that 17 year old. Which is why I have advocated for a reform of our justice system. One that focuses on rehabilitation instead of punishment. Part of that is that we're going to have to educate people that just because someone once did something bad in their lives it does not, should not, follow them their entire lives. Once their debt is paid, it should be forgiven and forgotten. This can happen even now in certain situations. (like the one you described) but it is not applied universally. Which it should be.

 

[Lovebug]

It baffles me how quickly everyone assumes this was about race. The only mention of race is by Janelle Griffith, and only in the article's title, perhaps to draw more attention to the issue than need be. Why? So I have to ask once again, was this about race or an allegedly fraudulent check?

 

[ultmd]

Stuff like this is so harmful to the black community in our country. When real racism rears its ugly head, people think of idiocy like this and assume that it's all the same. It amazes me how harmful the SJW folks are to the black community just so they can feel superior in their wokeness.

Parts of the community are destroying themselves and forming near-terrorist groups because on top of the rare true racism that still impacts their lives, they are told all these dreamed up scenarios are true and the white man is coming to get them. Then, people do get nervous and racist in reaction to those extremists. It's a horrific and escalating cycle.

I wish there was some way to keep the hyper-left and SJWs from pushing the racism in their minds out into the world and creating real racism.

:roll:
Oh, geez. In a thread filled with clearly ignorant thoughts from conservative white guys, this takes the cake.

Only a clueless right wing conservative with little-to-zero connection to "the black community" would say something this idiotic.

I'm sorry, but anyone who honestly believes that racism is "rare"...is someone who doesn't know what racism looks like.

Lord, save us from the entitled ignorance of right wing conservatives who are too stupid to understand when they don't know what they are talking about.:roll:

 

[ultmd]

We are talking about Brooklyn, NY. A VERY diverse area, so no, race probably had nothing at all to do with it.

Another silly comment.

What does the diversity of Brooklyn have to do with the racism of one individual?

 

[ultmd]

I was talking about just hangings continual posting that Trump publicly supporting neo Nazis and KKK members because he said they are some very fine people and yes it has been. Trump was referring to everyone at the protest of the taking down of Confederate statues. Lots of the people who don't want them down are not racist or kkk or wire supremacists. Plenty of Southerns want them up as it is part of their heritage.

Nonsense.

There are no "very fine people" in a mob chanting "Jews will not replace us" while protesting the removal of monuments to dead traitors of the old Confederate States. To argue otherwise is just absurd.

The only "heritage" symbolized by monuments to the Confederacy is that of white supremacy and the brutal subjugation of African-Americans. The majority of Confederate monuments were actually errected in the first 25 years of the 20th century, and during the peak 25 years of the Civil Rights Movement between 1950-1975. Educated Americans who understand their own history know why that happened during those two periods....and it had NOTHING to do with "southern heritage or culture".

So just stop with the ignorance, please. Anyone who argues in favor of "southern heritage" or "southern culture" in defense of Confederate monuments is either ignorant, or lying.

 

[ultmd]

Thats just a remarkably stupid thing to say. The history of our country had nothing to do with this incident. NOTHING. The man did not have an account at Huntington and came in to cash a check that they were unable to verify as real. So they refused to cash it and called the cops. It had zero to do with the mans race. ZERO. BUt along comes you to inject race and insert Trump into the story. Do you know the age or race or political affiliation of the teller involved? Of course you dont. The truth is, you dont know WTF you are talking about and are simply doing what you do with every post you type out--race bait.
:cuckoo:

There are only certain people who use terms like "race bait". It's a tell, of sorts.

That said...what the hell are you talking about? The incident in question is almost certainly an example of implicit bias (at best), and racism (at worst). And the history of America has EVERYTHING to do with it. The age and race of the teller are immaterial, of course. But I wouldn't expect anyone who trots out idiotic "race baiter" rhetoric to grasp that, either.

Good grief....you people....:roll:

 

[holbritter]

Another silly comment.

What does the diversity of Brooklyn have to do with the racism of one individual?

It wouldn't be an isolated incident for the bank if it had to do with race, that's my point.

 

[Mithrae]

Another silly comment.

What does the diversity of Brooklyn have to do with the racism of one individual?

More to the point, what does Brooklyn, Ohio have to do with NY?

 

[Keridan]

:roll:
Oh, geez. In a thread filled with clearly ignorant thoughts from conservative white guys, this takes the cake.

Only a clueless right wing conservative with little-to-zero connection to "the black community" would say something this idiotic.

I'm sorry, but anyone who honestly believes that racism is "rare"...is someone who doesn't know what racism looks like.

Lord, save us from the entitled ignorance of right wing conservatives who are too stupid to understand when they don't know what they are talking about.:roll:

Wow, a whole post to say absolutely nothing of value and dodge reality. I fall more left than right, but I allow reality to dictate, unlike threads like this and deviate from the party lines. You might notice that no one in the entire thread has come close to demonstrating any racism in this situation. That's how it is with about 95% of these stories.

The arrogance that the far left shows the black community is pretty disgusting these days. I would say most are just blind to it and actually mean well, but it's so damaging long-term that it hurts to watch.

But, considering you gave no counter-point and just attacked and made uninformed and derogatory statements tells me you aren't interested in actually considering another viewpoint. Good luck with that and all.

 

[Grokmaster]

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-new...paycheck-handcuffed-after-bank-teller-n949986

The bank teller wrongly believed the man's paycheck was fraudulent. Reports of the incident have sparked a new hashtag, #BankingWhileBlack.

An Ohio man trying to cash his paycheck from a new job was handcuffed and put in the back of a police car after a bank teller called 911 on the false belief the check was fraudulent.

Now the bank is apologizing as reports of the incident have sparked a new hashtag, #BankingWhileBlack.
===========================================
#BankingWhileBlack - in Ohio. I think this might merit a lawsuit. Open discrimination in a 'northern' state.

Because it was because he's black, not because they thought the check was fraudulent. Did they call the police on every other black person there that day, as well?

Der… " A spokesman for Huntington Bank told NBC News on Wednesday that it sincerely apologizes to McCowns for "this extremely unfortunate event."

“We accept responsibility for contacting the police as well as our own interactions with Mr. McCowns," the spokesman said. "Anyone who walks into a Huntington branch should feel welcomed. Regrettably, that did not occur in this instance and we are very sorry."

The bank also said: "We hold ourselves accountable to the highest ethical standards in how we operate, hire and train colleagues, and interact with the communities we have the privilege of serving.”

What does RACE have to do with it...outside of the feverish, race-obsessed left ?

 

[Diving Mullah]

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-new...paycheck-handcuffed-after-bank-teller-n949986

The bank teller wrongly believed the man's paycheck was fraudulent. Reports of the incident have sparked a new hashtag, #BankingWhileBlack.

An Ohio man trying to cash his paycheck from a new job was handcuffed and put in the back of a police car after a bank teller called 911 on the false belief the check was fraudulent.

Now the bank is apologizing as reports of the incident have sparked a new hashtag, #BankingWhileBlack.
===========================================
#BankingWhileBlack - in Ohio. I think this might merit a lawsuit. Open discrimination in a 'northern' state.

I am sorry, he should have known better...Banking While Black might get you arrested..Same as driving while black, shopping while black, selling cookies while black, mowing lawns while black, walking in the street while black, sleeping in your dorm room lounge while black and ordering and drinking coffee in a coffee shop.

After all this is United States...so no news here really....just another day in America

Diving Mullah

 

[Mason66]

Why is this a story and why the new hashtag based on race?

Oh, that's right...anything done that can possibly be viewed as negative just because a black person happened to be involved MUST be because of race and racism...right? Pretty sure that the only ones that use the word "racist" or any of its other various spellings now a days are SJW's that think the word still has the same "punch" that it used to. Hate to break it to them but its been used inappropriately so much over the last 10 years that it has about as much bite to it as saying "hello".

I don't know why you don't think a racist wouldn't try to convince everybody else everything that happens is based on race.

We see tons of threads trying to do just that.

 

[Mason66]

They would have cashed the damned check; they already had two I.D.s and his freakin' fingerprints! It's not like they didn't know who he was.

Yes they knew who he was but they couldn't verify the check.

Why would you think a bank will cash a check for anybody that can't be verified, especially when that person does not have an account at that bank?

 

[Mason66]

They would have cashed the damned check, and if it bounced they would have notified the police, told them who, what, where and when, and pressed charges; then the police would have gone out and arrested him/her.

And yes, I know exactly what I'm talking about; I was the Finance Director for a SoCalif city for many years, and had detailed working relationships with every bank in said city.

You have experience with banks cashing checks for strangers that walk in off the street when that check doesn't match their records?

Somehow I doubt that.

 

[Mason66]

No they would not. They would of refused to cash the check until it could be verified especially with 11 frauds commuted at that branch in the past few months.
There is no excuse for calling 911. The none emergency number should of been used.

I am not sure if the teller should have called 911, but they sure as hell should have called the poilce to report it.

This could have been number 12 and if they get this guy, he might lead them to the other 11 scammers.

 

[Mason66]

As a matter of fact I have had a similar incident. About 13 years ago I was running low on cash flow and asked my mom if she could help me out with my car payment. I was a month behind already and my next payment was coming due. The car was worth more than I owed so I certainly didn't want it repossessed. My mom was nice enough to write a check for about 550$ to cover the two months worth of car payments. I assumed she wrote the check out to me to cash so I could put it in my bank to cover the payments. However, she actually made the check out directly to Toyota and I didn't bother to really look at it closely because I had a job interview and my mind was elsewhere. Prior to my Job interview I went by my moms bank, signed the back of the check, put my driver's license in the tube and asked her to give me cash for it. She took an inordinate amount of time to process the transaction. Suddenly 2 police cruisers screamed into the parking lot, blocked off my vehicle and had me get out of my vehicle at gunpoint. They made me lay down in my suit and tie on a greasy parking lot and place my hands behind my head. They then approached me and a big monkey of a cop put his knee on the the back of my head and neck and smashed my face into the asphalt as another about twisted my arm off handcuffing my hands behind my back. All while demanding I stay still. How are you supposed to stay still with one guy crushing your skull and neck while another is twisting your arm off. I ended up having a dislocated shoulder. Scrapes all over my face. My neck and head hurt for a week. The paramedic reset my shoulder on the scene. I can't even begin to describe the pain of a dislocated shoulder. They called my mom to inform her someone with her same last name had tried to cash a check on her account. She came down to the bank and cleared up the misunderstanding. I chose not to go to the hospital. I just got cleaned up as best I could and went to the interview limp arm, greasy clothes and all.

By the way, I'm Caucasian. So we don't necessarily know this was a case of racism. Stories such as these are designed to inflame certain demographics in an attempt to motivate them politically. I would be willing to bet there was something other than his race which led her to believe the check was fraudulent. I'd wait to pass judgement until it is investigated to see if there was more to it.

What was the result of the Internal Affairs complaint you filed against the officers?

 

[LibDave]

What was the result of the Internal Affairs complaint you filed against the officers?

Never was sure if I did the right thing. Initially I filed a complaint. But at some point I just figured it wasn't worth the hassle and likely wouldn't have amounted to much of anything. City paid the medical\paramedic bills. They claimed standard police practice when responding to bank thefts and accidental injury yada yada yada. Attorneys are expensive and/or would have taken much of anything I might have gotten. Honestly after awhile when my anger died down and looking at the time and expense I just said screw it. Wasn't working at the time. Then finally found work and didn't want to take off work. I don't know, just eventually dropped it for whatever rationale was going through my head at the time. Kind of feel bad for not putting the effort in to fix the system. Also they are trained to do that, but obviously taking advantage of the situation and they went to far. What you gonna do?