Actor Ving Rhames says that he was held at gunpoint by police officers in his home after a neighbour called police and reported that a “large black man” had broken in, he said on Friday.
According to Rhames, who revealed the story on the Clay Cane show on Sirius XM radio, the incident happened earlier this year and was defused quickly when the police chief recognized him.
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“I open the door and there is a red dot pointed at my face from a 9mm,” said Rhames. “They say, ‘Put up your hands.’”
Rhames said that the police told him that a neighbour in the area had called them and said that a large black man was breaking into the house.
“He said it was a mistake and apologized,” said Rhames. “My problem is, and I said this to them, what if it was my son and he had a video game remote or something and you thought it was a gun?”
Rhames then said that he and the police officer went over to the neighbour’s house to speak to them but that they denied having made the call.
The call against Rhames follows a pattern of behaviour in the U.S. where police are called on black Americans for what can be considered innocuous reasons.