Well this is a good look for Milwaukee...

[jsglow]

so they closed the store early on Friday when Henson was just arriving after having confirmed via phone that they carried Rolex and would still be open when he got there?

No.  It doesn't seem that it was Henson at all last week.  I think that would have come out by now.

[StillAWarrior]

I believe racism and racial profiling exists and is widespread.  -- So it's pretty awesome that in this case, we have two scenarios to examine. 

Previously, Henson visited Schwanke-Kasten, they evaluated that same tall black man and buzzed him in, let him shop.   Must have been a decent experience, since he wanted to revisit the store.

So ..  What was different yesterday?  He was still black, of course.

Remove the remove the phone call and closing early, remove the report of a possibly stolen plate on a red Tahoe, remove the PD advice that if the Tahoe comes back, call us... and what do you get? 

Henson getting in, like he did before.  Just a rich guy buying a Rolex.

So, why ask the police to stick around?  He's a return customer, for goodness sake.  That makes it even worse than asking the police to stick around after learning it was one of the Bucks.  That is the part that just doesn't add up, and makes me question the rest of the story.

[mu_hilltopper]

Conveniently forgetting about employees asking the police to stick around...

I'll take that response as you're OK with the reasonableness of the analysis, comparing his previous visit(s) to his second.

So now we have a new episode to parse, don't we, where an employee asked the police to stick around.   Now we get to ask questions about the exact wording of what the employee(s) said to the police.  We get to evaluate more contexts and parse thoughts and imaginations to find what we're looking for.

So here goes:  The employees, who thought they were going to be robbed on Friday, closed early.   They saw the suspect red Tahoe and abandoned the front area to call police.  It is not a stretch to believe they thought a robbery was imminent and the 2 minutes it takes for the police to arrive is an eternity.

Police come, evaluate Henson, talk to employees: This is a Buck, no robbery.  Be calm, carry on.   Employees shouldn't be freaked out anymore, but .. they are.   They've gone from holy crap, we're locking ourselves in the back room and are going to be in our 4th armed robbery in 18 months to .. calm down.   

So the police report says .. an employee requested the police stay.    We don't have body cam footage, so all we have is our theories of that moment.   Was she saying "I'm a racist and this black man scares me" or was she saying "The past 10 minutes have scared me, please stay."

Both theories are viable, no doubt.  It's this point where we just need to decide what to believe.  Do we think this employee is racist, or just scared, or both?  And what should the punishment be for each of those crimes?

Nothing here was perfect.  The were freaked out over a phone call that wasn't actually a thread (or was it?).  They were freaked out over the police telling them the Tahoe was potentially stolen, but it wasn't.  They were freaked out about a robbery 100 miles away, enough to visit the PD on a Sunday to file a request for more patrols, perhaps for nothing.  They called police as they were instructed, and continued their freak out for a while longer.     

Sorry.  It didn't go perfectly. 

Now they get to deal with whether or not their 116 year old business can stay open because an employee asked the police to stay a while longer.   

[GGGG]

After reading the police report, I think it is pretty obvious that the employees were freaked out an paranoid, but also they were clearly racial profiling.

http://media.jrn.com/documents/schwanke+kasten2.pdf

And I find your scenario around this quote to be baffling at best:

"The employee requested that an officer stand by as they looked at the Rolexes, our officers refused and left the store."

The officers refused for a reason.  They knew there wasn't a threat.

[mu_hilltopper]

After reading the police report, I think it is pretty obvious that the employees were freaked out an paranoid, but also they were clearly racial profiling.

http://media.jrn.com/documents/schwanke+kasten2.pdf

And I find your scenario around this quote to be baffling at best:

"The employee requested that an officer stand by as they looked at the Rolexes, our officers refused and left the store."

The officers refused for a reason.  They knew there wasn't a threat.

Wait, how did you conclude they were racially profiling?  I thought that was settled.  They let him in once before, minus the red Tahoe closing early situation.

Certainly, the officers wanted to get out of there, they knew there wasn't a threat.  Had they stayed, presto, now the WFBPD is racist.   

The Chief using the word "refused" was a stroke of wisdom on his part.

[GGGG]

They asked the officers to stick around while the black men were looking at the Rolexes.  If you think that the employee would make the same request if these were two white dudes, I think you are incredibly naive. 

Furthermore, where did you read that he had been let into the store before?  I haven't seen that anywhere.

[WellsstreetWanderer]

If I had been robbed three times in 18 months I would be paranoid as well. Many jewelry stores I have been in have locked doors and you must be buzzed in. That is not as unusual as it seems. As is always the case in these matters, this could have been handled better. 

[mu_hilltopper]

They asked the officers to stick around while the black men were looking at the Rolexes.  If you think that the employee would make the same request if these were two white dudes, I think you are incredibly naive. 

Furthermore, where did you read that he had been let into the store before?  I haven't seen that anywhere.

You think I'm incredibly naive.  I think you want to find racism, so you find it, even though you admit .. the employees were freaked out. 

As for Henson being in the store before, unfortunately all I have is Dixon's words:  "I have met John Henson in the store before. There is no excuse for what he experienced today and I hope to see him again to personally apologize."

Of course, he's a racist, so he'd invent that story, naturally.  Get the torches!

[jsglow]

Topper, I think many here believe that Friday's call to the police was the first over reaction. So, a black man calls up and asked your hours?  So a black man showed up during those hours and the proprietors closed early?  Only after that did they learn the unusual license plate situation. Monday exacerbates that original situation.  And then when the cops figure it out, the employee still couldn't get his head around it.  I don't need to parse anything.  That's racist, pure and unadulterated. And to the best of my knowledge,  no one has implicated Dixon directly.

[jsglow]

I'm going to go slightly off topic.  Both chick and I serve on the MU Parents Board.  It infuriates me to no end when we hear Frosh parents from Barrington (or pick your favorite Lilly white burb) complaining that 'unsavoury' black people are at the 16th Street bus stop. You mean the ones on the way home from work at the McCormick cafeteria?  Trust me.  We hear it all the time.

[mu_hilltopper]

Topper, I think many here believe that Friday's call to the police was the first over reaction. So, a black man calls up and asked your hours?  So a black man showed up during those hours and the proprietors closed early?  Only after that did they learn the unusual license plate situation. Monday exacerbates that original situation.  And then when the cops figure it out, the employee still couldn't get his head around it.  I don't need to parse anything.  That's racist, pure and unadulterated. And to the best of my knowledge,  no one has implicated Dixon directly.

The employees are suspicious, yes.  They're not running a bakery.  They are a high value target, robbed before, and yeah, something clued them off when a call came in, asking about inventory and store closing times.  They did what they were supposed to: turn the tip over to the police.  Might be nothing, might be a clue.   This starts the ball rolling.

You want to parse that as racist, so you do, instead of employees being vigilant about not being robbed.

[MerrittsMustache]

Topper, I think many here believe that Friday's call to the police was the first over reaction. So, a black man calls up and asked your hours?  So a black man showed up during those hours and the proprietors closed early?  Only after that did they learn the unusual license plate situation. Monday exacerbates that original situation.  And then when the cops figure it out, the employee still couldn't get his head around it.  I don't need to parse anything.  That's racist, pure and unadulterated. And to the best of my knowledge,  no one has implicated Dixon directly.

Do we know that it was a black man who called and a black man who showed up at the door on Friday? The police report doesn't specify. I'm just curious if that was written somewhere else but I've missed it. According to the police report, Dixon provided the WFPD with a surveillance photo of the GB suspect, who is white.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

I'm going to go slightly off topic.  Both chick and I serve on the MU Parents Board.  It infuriates me to no end when we hear Frosh parents from Barrington (or pick your favorite Lilly white burb) complaining that 'unsavoury' black people are at the 16th Street bus stop. You mean the ones on the way home from work at the McCormick cafeteria?  Trust me.  We hear it all the time.

Reason why I almost left marquette after my freshman year. North Shore and south west suburbanites. So frustrating how people are sometimes.

[GGGG]

You think I'm incredibly naive.  I think you want to find racism, so you find it, even though you admit .. the employees were freaked out. 

As for Henson being in the store before, unfortunately all I have is Dixon's words:  "I have met John Henson in the store before. There is no excuse for what he experienced today and I hope to see him again to personally apologize."

Of course, he's a racist, so he'd invent that story, naturally.  Get the torches!

Here is the main reason I think it was racial profiling:  John Henson thought so. 

But if you want to use hyperbole instead of acknowledging that this bit of ugliness exists in your little town, go right ahead.

[GGGG]

I'm going to go slightly off topic.  Both chick and I serve on the MU Parents Board.  It infuriates me to no end when we hear Frosh parents from Barrington (or pick your favorite Lilly white burb) complaining that 'unsavoury' black people are at the 16th Street bus stop. You mean the ones on the way home from work at the McCormick cafeteria?  Trust me.  We hear it all the time.

"Hey I am glad my kid is having an urban experience!!  Now, could you try to make it a little less urban??"

[brandx]

In the store owner's defense, the police report does indicate that they told him to call back if the red Tahoe returned.  So, the second call to the police was justified in that regard.

But, I can't for the life of me figure out why they still would have had any problem whatsoever once they were told that it was someone from the Bucks.  I would imagine that "professional athlete" is on the very short list of best possible customers a jeweler could have walk into his shop on any given day.

Maybe cuz it was a black player from the Bucks?

[mu03eng]

Reason why I almost left marquette after my freshman year. North Shore and south west suburbanites. So frustrating how people are sometimes.

We live in a southwest suburb now(for the past 7 years or so) and I'm still shocked by how out of touch the general population is with reality and the lack of demonstrated inclusiveness.

Clearly the store employees did not understand John Hensen's perspective on the situation and had no understanding of how their actions would impact him.  This is especially relevant given the request for an officer to stay after the event was concluded.

There is a possibility for this to have a positive outcome if the owner and John can work out a learning opportunity and awareness training for employees, etc.

[brandx]

Again, am I misunderstanding but did Mr Henson despite this treatment stay to purchase a watch?

That was unclear to me...are there details around this?

Pretty obvious. A black guy only does that to case the joint.



Ho Hum - typical Chicos comment.

[brandx]

On the same page.  Although I wonder exactly what would have provoked the Friday call in the first place?  If I'm not mistaken the facts on the ground at that moment were that someone had called on Thursday and Friday inquiring about the store's hours and that a seemingly separate Milwaukee store had once been robbed and that Whitefish Bay had been robbed once in the past couple of years.  So the store had a single previous incident and the word was out that Rolex dealers were being targeted by 'those' people.  I don't believe that we have a description of the Friday customers but I don't think it takes a rocket scientist.  So again, the cops trying to be a bit conservative suggest that if the red Tahoe shows up again to give them a jingle.

Here's the problem.  The store employees allowed this all to build up in their mind over the weekend.  'Those' people are reportedly targeting Rolex dealers.  People sounding like 'those' people called about our hours and had the audacity to show up when we would normally be open.  Then a horrible robbery occurs over the weekend 120 miles away.

Even when given a chance to reflect for a moment on Monday following the police encounter, they couldn't let it go as their own delusion and a very unfortunate misunderstanding. 

Frankly, I'm glad John Instagramed it.  HIS courage in not just sweeping it under the rug for the sake of the next TV commercial seeks to improve the human condition.  John Henson can be the big winner out of this and can set an example for all folks to follow with his words/actions going forward.   

Best response in the thread, Glow.

[mu03eng]

Pretty obvious. A black guy only does that to case the joint.



Ho Hum - typical Chicos comment.

I think Chicos is probably coming at it from a different racially insensitive position.  I think his point is going to be, was he outraged enough to not purchase or did he stay and shop despite the event.  He'll likely correlate that to some sort of justification along the lines of "well if he bought the watch anyway, how bad an experience could it be".

My apologizes in advance if I'm ascribing motives you don't have Chicos....just testing this baby out.

[jsglow]

"Hey I am glad my kid is having an urban experience!!  Now, could you try to make it a little less urban??"

True examples from this year alone:

- my kid can't walk from Amtrak to campus alone in broad daylight.  He needs university transportation.

- a shooting victim drives from Southside and stops his car on 16th when he realized help was available at MUPD but no all campus alert was sent. My precious was in grave danger!

- my kid's Service Learning forces her to take a bus through an emerging neighborhood.

- and one for you Chi. Some mom instructed her Frosh to take LIMO from McCormick to Jimmy John's because that parking lot is too dangerous.  My instructions to jsglow jr, punch that kid in the nose if he tries to get on Glowmobile.

Just a taste.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

True examples from this year alone:

- my kid can't walk from Amtrak to campus alone in broad daylight.  He needs university transportation.

- a shooting victim drives from Southside and stops his car on 16th when he realized help was available at MUPD but no all campus alert was sent. My precious was in grave danger!

- my kid's Service Learning forces her to take a bus through an emerging neighborhood.

Just a taste.

You're a better person than me glow. I would either have been storming out of that room or completely just fought back. I already made enough snide comments driving LIMOs.

[warriorchick]

True examples from this year alone:

- my kid can't walk from Amtrak to campus alone in broad daylight.  He needs university transportation.

- a shooting victim drives from Southside and stops his car on 16th when he realized help was available at MUPD but no all campus alert was sent. My precious was in grave danger!

- my kid's Service Learning forces her to take a bus through an emerging neighborhood.

Just a taste.

I can attest that none of this is exaggerated in the least.  And they aren't even the most ridiculous complaints of these outrageous helicopter parents, but the best ones aren't racial and I don't want pull this thread off-topic.

[jsglow]

I just edited.  Chiatown, not kidding.

[Eldon]

I think Chicos is probably coming at it from a different racially insensitive position.  I think his point is going to be, was he outraged enough to not purchase or did he stay and shop despite the event.  He'll likely correlate that to some sort of justification along the lines of "well if he bought the watch anyway, how bad an experience could it be".

My apologizes in advance if I'm ascribing motives you don't have Chicos....just testing this baby out.

Phenomenal!