'His only crime was being a young black guy buying a $300 belt': Queens student arrested after buying Ferragamo belt sues Barneys

Trayon Christian, 19, taken to NYPD precinct despite using his own debit card and ID at the upscale Manhattan store

The college student, who lives with his mom in Queens, New York, had saved up from his part-time job to buy the Salvatore Ferragamo belt

Mr Christian is suing Barneys and NYPD for unspecified damages



A black college student who had saved up money from his part-time job to buy a designer belt at Barneys department store was pounced on by police 'because he could not afford to make such an expensive purchase', according to a new lawsuit.

Trayon Christian, 19, filed a lawsuit on Tuesday for unspecified damages against the Madison Avenue store and the NYPD who wrongly accused him of fraud.



Mr Christian, who lives with his mom in Queens, had decided to splash out on a $320 belt by designer Salvatore Ferragamo after seeing one of his favorite music stars, H arlem rapper Juelz Santana, wearing the accessory.

Trayon Christian, 19, has brought a lawsuit against Barneys and the NYPD after they wrongly accused him of fraud when he purchased a designer belt

Barneys department store is facing a lawsuit after a 19-year-old black student claims he was wrongly grabbed by store detectives because of his color and accused of stealing a designer belt

However once he had paid for the belt and had left Barneys on April 29 this year, the fashion-loving teen was grabbed by undercover officers on the street.



According to the civil rights lawsuit, the 19-year-old was asked 'h ow a young black man such as himself could afford to purchase such an expensive belt'.

Harlem rapper Juelz Santana (pictured right) wearing the belt coveted by his teenage fan

Mr Christian's lawyer Michael Palillo told the New York Daily News : 'He’s never been arrested.



'His only crime was being a young black guy buying a $300 belt.'



A Barneys store employee had asked the 19-year-old for ID when he used his Chase debit card to buy the belt. Mr Christian showed the clerk his state ID.



The store cashier then subsequently called the police to claim that the purchase was a fraud, according to the lawsuit.



Officers took the teenager, who is an engineering freshman at the NYC College of Technology, to a local precinct.

Mr Christian once again showed his ID, debit card and receipt for the belt.



Officers still refused to believe the teenager.

'In spite of producing such documentation Christian was told that his identification was false and that he could not afford to make such an expensive purchase,' the suit states.



Finally Chase bank was contacted who verified that the debit card belonged to Mr Christian.

It was only then that he was allowed to go after spending two hours in a holding cell, the suit claims.



The NYPD denied this and said the student was only held for 42 minutes.



The student, who has no history of arrests, said that he will never shop at Barneys again following the incident.

The teenager, who now works at Target, told the News: 'I brought the belt back to Barneys a few days later and returned it. I got my money back, I’m not shopping there again. It’s cruel. It’s racist.'



A Barney's New York spokesman said: ' Barneys New York typically does not comment on pending litigation.

'In this instance, we feel compelled to note that after carefully reviewing the incident of last April, it is clear that no employee of Barneys New York was involved in the pursuit of any action with the individual other than the sale.

'Barneys New York has zero tolerance for any form of discrimination and we stand by our long history in support of all human rights.'



