Bob Marley's Granddaughter Suing California Police After They Mistook Her for an Airbnb Burglar
Donisha
Prendergast, a 33-year-old filmmaker and relative of the Jamaican
reggae artist, and her two friends Kells Fyffee Marshall and Komi-Oluwa
Olafimihan, served the Rialto Police Department with notice of a pending
lawsuit yesterday, reported New York Daily News.
Last Monday, the three friends were swarmed by police while checking out of an Airbnb rental. In a Facebook post,
Fyffe-Marshall said upon leaving the property, they found themselves
surrounded by “7 cop cars.” The officers then demanded the women to put
their hands in the air and informed them that “there was also a
helicopter” tracking their movements.
The
officers said that a neighbor phoned 911 claiming she saw “three black
people stealing stuff.”
"Like breaking into the house and taking stuff,"
the officer said, in a video posted to social media.
The
police interviewed Prendergast and her friends for around 22 minutes
before eventually realizing that they were “Airbnb renters and were at
the residence as guests,” according to police officials.
In an official statement, authorities claim Prendergast, Marshall and Olafimihan were never detained, only questioned.
"Got
surrounded by the police for being black in a white neighbourhood.
Smh," Prendergast wrote in an Instagram post. "I'm sad and irritated to
see that fear is still the first place police officers go in their
pursuit to serve and protect, to the point that protocol supersedes
their ability to have discernment."
"Many
have suffered and died in moments like these. That's a crazy reality
check. Give Thanks for life, and the ability to stand our ground. We are
stronger together. Use your voice collectively. We have a right to be
right."
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