Family says they were racially profiled in store parking lot by Manchester police

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    MANCHESTER, MO (KMOV) — A family says they were the targets of racial profiling by a West County police department while in the parking lot of the Academy Sports on Manchester Road Monday.

LaTiffiany Carter started recording cell phone video when a Manchester police officer blocked their car in with his patrol cruiser.

“I knew that when he started to call for backup that I knew then that it just felt like it was out of our control,” said LaTiffiany Carter. “The officer took it upon himself to single us out, out of everybody else on the parking lot.”.

Marshall Carter said when he got out of the car the officer said he suspected them of shoplifting. That was a claim that baffled the family, because they said they had a receipt showing they spent nearly $300 in the store.

“Why are we being stopped, or approached when we have receipts,” LaTiffiany Carter said.

In the cell phone video, the officer can be heard saying he suspected their 16-year-old son of shoplifting because he noticed a bulge around his waist. The family showed the officer the bulge was actually coming from a fanny pack that had no stolen items inside.

News 4 reached out to the Manchester Police Department. Chief Scott Will said this incident is under investigation. Will told News 4 he’s concerned about what he saw in the video and doesn’t condone the officer’s behavior.

Because the incident is under investigation by internal affairs, the police chief said he couldn’t comment any further.

We did confirm that police were not called to the store by employees and that this officer acted on his own. The officers were wearing body cameras of this incident, News 4 has requested that video.

News 4 has also reached out to Academy Sports for a comment.

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