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Terrance Westmoreland went to a Wisconsin Home Depot to exchange blinds after noticing they were not the shade he desired. While comparing blinds to find the correct shade before going to the customer service desk to exchange the blinds he claims he was racially profiled. The incident took place on July 24 in a Home Depot store in Wauwatosa according to the Journal Sentinel when Westmoreland says he was approached by a security officer named Ricky.

“Before I could even finish, this Caucasian security guard kind of grabbed my arm,” Westmoreland told the newspaper. Westmoreland, who owns his own business, wrote on Facebook that he went with the officer as instructed, and was accused of attempting to make an illegal return.

“He said I came in the store with nothing,” Westmoreland said. “But I had two boxes.”

Westmoreland asked the loss prevention officer to check the store’s surveillance, which would prove his innocence. That’s when he said he called the police.

“If I stole something and I’m wrong, let justice prevail and let me be punished,” he told the Journal Sentinel.

Police investigated the incident and said Westmoreland had done nothing wrong, according to newspaper. Police officers said Westmoreland, was accused of trying to fraudulently return blinds and there appeared to be a miscommunication between the security officer and the customer service clerk.

Westmoreland said the clerk said the loss prevention officer interrupted while she was trying to explain that he was making an exchange. He was not arrested or detained due to the incident. However, Home Depot officials who asked him to leave and banned him from the store for allegedly stealing.

“I don’t steal; I won’t steal. And I don’t condone stealing or teach my kids to steal,” he said.

A district manager at The Home Depot called Westmoreland two days after the incident to apologize and rescind the ban.

Westmoreland is now demanding the security officer lose his job. Westmoreland is seeking reimbursement of the money he lost on jobs since being accused of shoplifting as well as the embarrassment he’s suffered from the incident

“I honestly feel there have been other African-Americans that have been profiled in that store,” he told the Journal Sentinel.

“There was a misunderstanding about Mr. Westmorland’s return,” a company spokeswoman said. “We take these complaints very seriously and would not tolerate profiling. We have measures and training to help avoid that from happening. We’re very sorry for any embarrassment caused to Mr. Westmoreland.”

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