Nike Santa Monica Store Manager Accused of Racial Profiling

A black family has accused a manager at a Nike store in Santa Monica of racial profiling after they were accused of stealing a basketball that was purchased.

July 18, 2019

A manager at the Nike store in the Santa Monica Place mall has been accused of racial profiling.

TaMiya Dickerson took to Facebook to tell her story. According to her posts, Dickerson and Joel Stallworth were out shopping with their family on the evening of July 5. Their 18-month old son, Sammy, began carrying a small Nike basketball around the store, which would ultimately be purchased. Upon leaving the store, the manager chased them down, and accused them of stealing the item. The manager also flagged down police officers to make them aware of the situation.

"She ran two blocks, and called the police on us. She followed us from Nike to the AMC theater. We felt intimidated, and threatened physically and emotionally," said Dickerson in a recent Facebook post.

A video clip of the incident posted by Dickerson indicates Stallworth showing the officers his receipt for the ball. After the situation was sorted out, the basketball was ultimately returned to the store by the family.

"We are taking the recent situation at our Santa Monica store very seriously, and we are currently investigating the facts. We have reached out to the family to express our deepest apologies, and we will continue to work with our teams to ensure we deliver on our expectations for consumer experiences," says Nike in an official statement to Sole Collector.

According to the Santa Monica Daily Press, the manager has since been fired, and the family is pursuing legal action.