Black Paralegal Mistaken For Drug Dealer Left 'Humiliated' By Encounter With Police

A Black paralegal is speaking out after a racial profiling incident by police left him feeling "vulnerable and targeted."

This story comes to us from Legal Cheek, a legal website that's based across the pond in England. According to LC, Eldred Taylor-Camara, a caseworker for a London-based solicitors firm, was traveling by train when several British Transport Police (BTP) stopped him for questioning and searched him because he "look[ed] suspicious." Here are the details:

When he asked the officers for an explanation as to why they had stopped him, Taylor-Camara says they told him he looked "lost" which "raised their suspicion".

The paralegal, who was wearing a suit at the time, said the experience made him feel "felt vulnerable and targeted," and that he was "concerned by the glaring mistakes" by officers "purportedly acting on intelligence".

The police said they had received "intelligence" and that the aspiring lawyer matched the description of an "extremely violent" drug dealer in the area.

However, Taylor-Camara believes that he was racially profiled and that police failed to provide a "robust explanation" as to why he was stopped for "extensive questioning".

Taylor-Camara said the police run-in "unnerving," and it "showed the disassociation of the police between themselves and those in the public who are likely to encounter this kind of treatment -- specifically, people who are Black and male." He continued, saying, "Due to the conduct of the officers and the inadequacy of the response to my complaint, the only plausible rationale that I could draw at the time is I was stopped because I am a young Black man."

Taylor-Camara filed a complaint with BTP, but to no avail. It said: "The conduct of the officers left me feeling intimidated and publicly humiliated. Despite my formal attire and explanation that I worked for a solicitor's firm, I was treated with suspicion and subjected to extensive questioning."

BTP offered this statement, in relevant part, following Taylor-Camara's decision to go public with his treatment:

"Following the stop a complaint was received and, as with every complaint we receive, was subjected to a thorough investigation by our Professional Standards Department (PSD). Body worn footage of the stop was reviewed by senior officers and accounts were taken from all the officers involved. The result of this investigation was that the service provided was acceptable and no further action was taken.

Our officers who patrol the railway and engage with passengers every day are not there to cause distress, but to ensure everyone is safe and that the network remains a hostile environment for offenders to operate in. Stopping passengers to speak to them is part and parcel of that, and we will always provide our full rationale for doing so."

In comments given to The Independent, Taylor-Camara said, "The most important thing for me is spreading awareness about this issue. For those who experience it, I'm aware that this is nothing new. However, for those who are trying to pursue a professional career, thinking it affords them protection from being profiled ... I want them to be aware that this is still a possibility. It's important to highlight this reality, so it informs others."

Black paralegal 'felt vulnerable and targeted' after being stopped by police on the way to visit client [Legal Cheek]
Black trainee solicitor stopped by police for 'looking suspicious' on way to meet client [The Independent]

Staci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she's worked since 2011. She'd love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.