Police apologize for removing black man from Wash. yogurt shop

Police in Washington State issued an apology this week after helping the owner of a yogurt shop remove a black man because employees said they were uncomfortable.

The apology came weeks after a Nov. 7 incident in which police in Kirkland, Wash., were called to a yogurt shop about Byron Ragland, a 31-year-old black man and court-appointed special advocate who was supervising a court-sanctioned outing between a mother and her child at the time, according to The Associated Press.

{mosads}The owner of the Menchie’s yogurt shop, Ramon Cruz, reportedly called the police about Ragland after his staff reportedly said they were “kind of scared because he looks suspicious,” The Seattle Times reported.

Police who responded to the call reportedly told Ragland that the owner wanted him to leave.

According to the AP, Ragland, who also served in the Air Force for nine years, told police the request was “not necessary” but left the shop without incident.

The Kirkland Police Department later announced that it was launching an internal investigation into the incident following public backlash.

“Our initial assessment showed that the interaction that occurred did not meet the expectations of our community or the high standards we set for ourselves,” Kirkland Police Chief Cherie Harris said in a joint statement with City Manager Kurt Triplett, according to the AP.

Cruz and the yogurt shop’s corporate offices also issued an apology on Monday, the Seattle Times reported.

“This does not reflect our values, and we are genuinely sorry,” the company said, according to the paper.

Cruz added that although he had previously encouraged his staff to alert authorities if they felt uncomfortable, he has now instructed staff to contact him instead.