Video of an African American man being handcuffed and detained by a white police officer in his own home has led to a full review by the Raleigh, N.C., police department.
The incident took place after an alarm at Kazeem Oyeneyin’s home was tripped by a guest, and police arrived at the scene.
Oyeneyin, who came to the door wearing boxers and carrying a gun, was handcuffed and detained. He said he was “humiliated” by the incident, according to a report by WTVD.
“This was one of the most humiliating experiences of my life,” he told ABC News. “I mean, I felt like my character was defamed. I went outside the other day, the neighbors wouldn’t even wave at me. They don’t know what’s going on. They think I’m a whole criminal over here.”
He added that he suspected that the police response was prompted by the color of his skin.
“Being black could definitely be one the issues, the problem. I hope it’s not. But if that’s what it is, it needs to be resolved.”
Authorities told WTVD that they are investigating the altercation.
“The Department is looking into this incident and reviewing our officers’ actions,” a Raleigh Police spokesperson said. “We have attempted to contact the homeowner several times over the past few days to discuss this incident with him.”
Oyeneyin, a local club promoter known as “Tim Boss,” said he had been working late and was asleep around 12:30 p.m. when a friend who stayed overnight accidentally tripped his security alarm. Oyeneyin, 31, said he turned off the alarm and went back to bed.
{mosads}”I just laid back down and all I heard was somebody screaming downstairs,” he said. “So I grab my firearm because I don’t know what’s going on. And I run down the stairs and it’s a cop.”
In one part of the video, Oyeneyin can be heard but not seen stating that he is holding a firearm. Audio in the video appears to reveal Oyeneyin putting the gun on his home’s floor in response to the officer’s instructions.
“OK, come out here. Come out for me,” the officer then says in the video.
“What you mean come on out? I got on my drawers,” Oyeneyin responds.
The officer then tells Oyeneyin to get on his knees and put his hands behind his back.
“What for?” Oyeneyin asked.
“Just turn around and put your hands behind your back and get down on your knees,” the officer said while pointing his gun.
Oyeneyin told the outlet that this wasn’t the first time his home security system has been triggered by mistake. He said typically if the police show up, they ask for ID and sometimes issue a fine.
The officer did not ask for his identification until several minutes into the exchange, according to the video.
The officer said he “made several announcements” that no one answered. Oyeneyin responds in the video that he was sleeping. The officer is then heard saying that he’s just trying to figure out whether Oyeneyin was supposed to be there.
“I’ve got on drawers, bro,” he said in the video. “What the f— you mean I’m not supposed to be here?”
The officer noted at one point that the homeowner was carrying a weapon. Oyeneyin, who according to WTVD has a concealed-carry permit, said in the clip that he has a gun because “people try to rob me every day” as a club promoter.
The officer’s supervisor arrived and instructed Oyeneyin to take a seat on the steps so authorities could search the rest of the house. Oyeneyin appears hesitant on video and questioned how officers could “come into somebody’s house and do this.”
“What have I done wrong?” he can be heard asking before the supervisor ordered the other officers to lead him outside to an awaiting police car.
Oyeneyin said his 6-month-old son was out of the house with his mother at the time.
Oyeneyin was later released without being charged with a crime. The officers are seen filing out of the house after they confirm he is the homeowner.
The homeowner told ABC News that officers identifying themselves as being from internal affairs showed up at his house after the local news outlet reported on the incident.
He said he declined their invitation to go down to the police station to make a formal complaint.
“They’ve got me scared. I ain’t going to lie to you,” Oyeneyin said. “I don’t know how to trust them.”