ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) - A Black real estate photographer who was hired to take pictures of a home in Virginia has filed a complaint with police after officers questioned him and demanded his identification.
The Washington Post reported Monday that the incident occurred last week in the northern Virginia city of Arlington.
The photographer is Marlon Crutchfield. He is a former U.S. Capitol Police officer, Army veteran and licensed real estate agent.
Crutchfield was sitting in his car and waiting for his appointment in a neighborhood that’s near the U.S. Army’s Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall.
Crutchfield said a white man asked what he was doing and alerted base security. He said Arlington police officers asked for his identification.
“That’s when I really got upset,” Crutchfield said. “If you take someone’s ID, that’s in lieu of detaining them.”
He was not arrested. Arlington police said that they responded a report of a suspicious person who was taking photos of a base entrance. The police issued a statement that said they “take our responsibility to protect our diverse and inclusive community willingly and without reservation.”
Crutchfield said he never left his car or took any photos from his car.
Julius D. Spain Sr. of the Arlington NAACP said he would seek a meeting with Arlington Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti.
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