A California city has agreed to pay a Black couple $150,000 after police officers racially profiled them in their store in 2020.  Yema Khalif and his wife were putting up inventory in their store in August 2020, when Tiburon Police officers demanded that Khalif put his key in the door of his store and show ID to show he was the owner according to FOX 2.

However, the officers kept questioning the couple until a white neighbor confirmed he owned the store.

“This isn’t about just me and Yema,” Awash said during a press conference. “It’s about every single Black and brown person that comes into the Tiburon community, that comes into the Belvedere community.”

Khalif and Awash, were the only Black business owners in the town at the time, were going through inventory at the store at 1 a.m. on August 21, 2020, when Tiburon Police Officer Isaac Madfes came to the door and asked them what they were doing. Awash says the officer was “aggressive,” therefore Khalif asked for a supervisor, who Madfes said was on his way. The superior officer, Sgt. Michael Blasi asked the couple about their presence in the store, which had photos of them on the wall.

“I don’t have to tell you nothing. If I tell you it’s my store, then what?” asked Khalif.

The sergeant said that “if” it was Khalif’s store, he should show proof, and he is “looking out for the community.”

“You don’t sound like you’re very grateful. You sound like you’re very defensive,” Blasi said.

“I do not have to prove my existence to you,” Khalif said.

“The next time I come here, and there are three totally different people in here — I don’t care what color they are — three people in your store at 3 o’clock in the morning, do you want us to walk by and not do anything?” Blasi asked. Once Khalif reached for his key when a neighbor yelled from his balcony.

“That’s his store,” said Ken Johnson, who told reporters that he saw the incident between Khalif and the officers,

“Thank you very much, that’s all I need to know,” Blasi said.

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