US2 min(s) read
Published 12:18 01 Jun 2021 GMT
A Black woman was given a $385 fine for "talking too loud" on her phone and people are taking to social media to rally around her.
Diamond Robinson of Eastpointe, Michigan, told Fox 2 Detroit that one of her neighbors confronted her on Thursday as she walked up and down her street while on the phone.
According to Robinson, her white neighbor asked: "Do you think that you can get off your phone or talk lower?"
"One of those things she said," Robinson explained. "And I said 'Get out of my face,' and I proceeded to walk past her. She is saying whatever she is saying, three minutes later, Eastpointe police pulls up."
Shortly after police arrived, Robinson began filming the encounter via Facebook Live. "And I hope you know this is all being recorded," she told the officers in the video, per Fox 2 Detroit.
Robinson believes her neighbor, who had only recently moved to the area, had targeted her because of the color of her skin.
"I'm not doing anything wrong by walking up and down the street talking on my phone," Robinson continued.
While still filming the Facebook live, she received a ticket from the officers, detailing her $385 fine - to which she responded, saying: "I get a ticket for being a public nuisance because I'm talking too loud on my phone. That's why I got a ticket?"
"There's no way police should be called on me when I am on my own property, in my own neighborhood, on my own block," Robinson added.
Still upset by the incident, she told the outlet that she is planning to fight back against the fine and is even having security cameras installed outside her home.
She also explained that she felt she felt compelled to share footage of the encounter online. When an officer was asked by Fox 2 Detroit about the heavy penalty, he responded: "She will have her day in court."
The white neighbor told the outlet that the fine "speaks for itself".
Needless to say, plenty of people have now taken to social media to defend Robinson over what many believe was a racially charged incident.
One person simply wrote: "This is ridiculous."
Another wanted to know: "Who determined she was talking too loud? How do you measure too loud? What equipment was used to measure the decibels?"
A third commented: "Ya, we have a problem with racism in America. For sure."
