White woman calls cops on black real estate investor inspecting house next door

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by Breanna Edwards
The Root

It’s news to no one that the Rebeccas and Karens of the world will not cease until they call cops on every single black person in this country for the most minuscule of perceived infractions.

In the past month alone we’ve had incidents of police being called on black people for napping while black, cooking while black, dining while black and moving while black. And now we have real-estate-ing while black.

In a video posted to YouTube earlier this month, Michael Hayes, a real estate investor in Memphis, Tenn., went to a house that was in desperate need of a fixing up to inspect it. It was at that point, he said, that a woman came out of a neighboring house demanding to know what he was doing. Ever affable, Hayes said that he readily showed the woman his investment contract, which showed that he had permission to work on the house, as well as the written permission he received from the homeowner.

Still, Karen the unidentified woman wouldn’t be swayed and called the police anyway.

Thankfully, in this case, the police were quick to call the woman out on her bullshit and defended Hayes’ right to be there.

“You keep the camera rolling. If you have any problems with her, what I want you to do is call me back over here,” a white male officer reassures Hayes. “She will go to jail for that.”

The woman says something that sounds like, “I’m friends with the sheriff,” but the same officer shuts her down.

“I don’t care if you’re friends with the president,” he snaps. “You’re going to let him do what he’s going to do. If you try to do anything to stop him, I’m going to take you to jail.”

“Hurry up, do it and get out!” the woman sneers in Hayes’ direction.

Again, the cops were not having it.

“No, no. He can take his time,” a female officer chimes in.

“He can take all day,” the male officer agrees.

At Hayes’ request, and after he voiced his own discomfort, the officers agree to stick around while he takes pictures of the property to ensure his safety.

Toward the end of the video, Hayes thanks the officers for sticking up for him in light of Karen’s madness.

“You know why the lady called the police on me,” he said in the video. “But at the end of the day, she did not just want me in her neighborhood.

“The police, they were on my side,” he added. “I’m happy to be going home now. Finna go home and see my wife. I’m about to hug her, I’m about to see my son. Maybe see another day. Didn’t go to jail.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Breanna Edwards

News Editor at The Root, animation nerd, soca junkie, yogi