Seven Black men say police harassed them at restaurant

Seven black men who were detained as they left a restaurant have sued police and the restaurant chain, saying they were the victims of discrimination and unlawful detention. The men met at a Golden Corral on July 13, 2003. Restaurant manager Mary Christian called police to report a robbery in progress, and said a group of suspicious black men was in the restaurant, the lawsuit said. Police waited outside the restaurant for customers to leave. When the plaintiffs left, they were orderd to kneel on the ground as officers aimed guns at their head, took their cell phones, searched them and verbally abused them, the complaint said. Later, police realized the men had done nothing wrong and released them, but refused to give the men their names and badge numbers, the lawsuit said. The group's lawyer, Ronnie Mitchell said the men were singled out by restaurant employees and police because they are black. White customers were asked for identification and allowed to leave, he said. [more]