Did Houston police engage in racial profiling last weekend when they found two black men and a white teenage Oklahoma dancer in a car in the early morning hours? The police department says, no, that “given the age discrepancies between all involved, the fact that all three were from out of state, and the child had no relatives in the area, officers, in an abundance of caution, did their utmost to ensure her safety,” the Tulsa World reports.
The girl’s mother in Oklahoma says an officer called her and asked, “Are you aware that your daughter is in Houston with two black men?” One of the men, Emmanuel Hurd, 29, of Tulsa, says the girl, 13, had documents showing she had parental approval to be with the men, but Hurd said officers “ransacked” their vehicle and handcuffed him. The girl was not released by Houston police until Sunday afternoon, prompting national media coverage. Hurd believes the case got so much attention because racial profiling has become a big issue since the death of Trayvon Martin, a black 17-year-old who was shot to death last year in Florida.