Officer Sues Walmart, Claims He Was Racially Profiled and Handcuffed Inside Store

A Black correction officer from Georgia is suing Walmart after he was allegedlyx "racially profiled" and handcuffed inside the store in September.

David Conners said he was mistaken for a shoplifter when was shopping for decorations at a local Walmart and a police officer stopped him. The officer explained that employees called in because they believed he was a man with the last name Wright who repeatedly stole electronics from the store, ABC News reported.

Conners told officers he was not the man in question but was handcuffed and brought to a back room. He said officers showed him footage of the shoplifter and once again he told them it was not him.

He pointed out to officers that the man in the footage did not have any tattoos while he did. Conners also showed the officers two forms of ID including one that identified him as a Clayton County corrections officer.

"I could have lost my Georgia post over this situation," he told local news outlet WSBTV.

But Conners said it wasn't until someone familiar with the case was called and confirmed Conners was not involved that he was released by officers, ABC reported.

Conners and his attorney Terance Madden said they believe he was racially profiled by the Walmart employees.

"This is the very essence of profiling," Madden said.

Madden said that the incident occurred back in September. He explained that although Conners was able to provide ID proving he was not Wright, he was still handcuffed and taken into a back room. WSBTV reported that police said they had to investigate the matter but that Conners grew agitated as he sat handcuffed.

It was also reported that the situation was complicated because both Conners and the man in the surveillance footage were wearing a mask.

"This could be anybody. I could have walked in there and it could have been me who got arrested," Madden said.

Conners told local news this was his first time being racially profiled but that it has given him a new perspective on the matter. Now, Madden has filed a lawsuit against Walmart on behalf of Conners.

Randy Hargrove, a spokesman for Walmart, told Newsweek that they are taking the allegations seriously and do not tolerate discrimination of any kind.

"We are not going to comment further on this pending litigation," Hargrove told Newsweek.

Conners told ABC News that the Walmart and employee who called the police have not contacted him to apologize. He also said that he's had to seek professional counseling in order to cope with the trauma he suffered due to the incident.