I WAS on Trayon Christian's Side (sort of)

As is now making the rounds, Trayon Christian is now suing Barneys and the New York Police Department for what he claims to be an improper arrest.  Trayon, according to the story, purchased a $300+ Ferragamo belt at Barneys in Manhattan using his debit card, without incident.  After he left the store, some NYPD detectives allegedly collared him, took him in, questioned how he was able to afford a belt with such a price tag, and detained him for 2 hours before letting him go (the NYPD claims he was held for only about 40 minutes).  Trayon (or is it his lawyer?) claims that Barneys people fingered him in the first place, and then the NYPD cops made the arrest.

When the story first broke, I was willing to hear Trayon out. Yes, I do tend to give law enforcement the benefit of the doubt, but, professionally and personally, I know of instances where NYPDers have had occasion to carry matters way past acceptable extremes.  Police forces, for all the good they do society, do need to have checks and balances placed upon them, just as any other governmental function.

[As for this "Stop and Frisk" controversy now hitting the headlines in the New York papers, I do believe that S&F does have its uses, and that some reasonable guidelines can be worked out if (and this "if" may be a bit presumptuous) the parties on both sides get reasonable.].

Never mind that most whiners of the "Racial Profiling" song do not have clean hands.  Never mind the matter of the culture of gang violence over high-end designer clothing and accessories.  And never mind the question of whether and to what extent Trayon did or did not cooperate with the detectives in their inquiry.  I WAS willing to reserve judgment and hear him out.

But now, I am greater than 99% sure that there is a NYPD/Barneys side to the story, and that Trayon has lots of filthy laundry that will be aired.  I know because Al Sharpton has entered the picture, and has been welcomed by Trayon and his family.

I am still interested in hearing Trayon tell his story, but I am even more interested in hearing what Barneys and the NYPD will say.  And by "tell his story," I do not refer to the statements and stories and palabra hyped in the press; I mean pleadings and evidence in a court of law.

Something is highly likely to come out which will leave Trayon looking like something less than the innocent hard-working college student who saved his nickels and dimes to purchase the Ferragamo belt of his dreams.  Al Sharpton, by his insinuation into the case, has all but assured me of this.

.