White woman filmed calling 911 on a black family for barbecuing at the park

Michelle Dione Snider uploaded a video to YouTube showing a white woman calling the police on a black family because they were having a barbecue in a public park.

In the 25-minute clip, an unidentified woman was in front of the black family with her phone in her hands. Michelle approached her and asked why she was doing so, and the lady said that barbecuing in that area was illegal.

Snider pointed out that the map of the park stated that the family was in an area designated to that activity, but the lady said that the problem was the type of grill they were using.

According to her, there was an area for charcoal grills and a different one for non-charcoal gears. The video contains strong language.

A RACE-DRIVEN INCIDENT?

Snider kept saying that they were not doing anything illegal and that the lady targeted them just because they were black. Again, the woman said that it had nothing to do with their race but with the park’s rules.

Minutes later, the woman allegedly took away Snider’s card and was trying to take a picture of it, so a small altercation between both women began. Police responded to the incident after the woman’s call.

MEETING WITH THE POLICE

After walking to a convenience store being chased by Snider and her camera, she met with the officers and broke down in tears, saying that Snider was harassing her.

The officers then spent about one hour questioning the family but didn’t issue any citation. Oakland Council member Lynette Gibson McElhaney addressed the incident saying that the city shouldn’t have those “precious, expensive resources squandered in a frivolous way.”

BARBECUING IN THE WRONG AREA

While Lake Merritt has six designated barbecue zones, three of them permit charcoal grills and three allow non-charcoal portable grills. Even though the family was using the incorrect grill for the area they were in, it was not illegal.

SIMILAR SITUATIONS

Darsell Obregon took to Facebook to share that she hid in the doorway outside of a random apartment due to a sudden rainstorm and a young girl opened the front door and called the police.

Kam Porter was also a victim of a similar incident as a woman in a public pool called the police on her family because one of them was wearing socks.

According to Porter, wearing socks was not banned in the public pool’s rules, so there was nothing to be worried.