Photo: Getty Images
A white woman appeared to falsely accuse a Black customer of stealing from a Toronto eyewear store and blocked her from leaving in a TikTok that's gone viral.
In the video, Symone Sparks and her partner, Demi, were shopping at Bloor Optical in Toronto when an employee, identified as Dragana Kljajic on social media, allegedly accused them of stealing from the store.
The employee appeared to block the store's door so the couple couldn't leave during the confrontation.
"What happened? You think I took something from you," Sparks said in the video.
"I don't know," the woman responded as she stood in front of the door.
"You just locked the door, and you locked me in here, and you said I took something from you," Sparks replied. "That’s crazy. I’m coming here to buy things from you. Why would I steal from you?"
The couple explained that they completed an eye exam next door before visiting the optical store. They asked other employees if there were cameras in the store, so they could prove their innocence.
Sparks also asked one of the employees if she would like to check her clothes and suggested calling the police.
"Is it because I’m Black? Is that the problem?" Sparks questioned the woman blocking the door.
A white customer intervened in defense of the couple.
"It’s against the law, and you’re confining them, which is also against the law. This is racism," the man said.
Sparks further explained that she tried on a pair of glasses and put them back in place.
The video ended with the couple calling 911. Dispatchers reportedly informed the couple that their case wasn't an emergency, and they visited the police station to file a report. The couple also started a GoFundMe to help offset the costs of a legal battle against the eyewear store.
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