When It Becomes Illegal to Use The Bathroom
Recently, we’ve all seen the videos and stories about black people being arrested and pulled over and beyond just for living life. One of the more recent incidents involves how long a person can use the bathroom.
According to Blavity.com, three actresses Erika Walker, Brittany Mari Lucio and Asia’h Sharrell Eperson of the OWN show GreenLeaf entered Houston’s restaurant in Atlanta, Georgia to meet friends. Although the kitchen was closed upon arrival, guests were still eating.
According to 11 Alive, a police officer working as a security guard for Houston’s when the women entered the restaurant. The women allege they were given permission to use the bathroom as long as they knew the kitchen was closed.
The officer alleges that they walked into the restaurant and were asked to leave, but instead they went into the bathroom. A manager allegedly asked the officer to remove the women.
The officer allegedly entered the bathroom and asked the women to leave. When they refused, he proceeded to drag Lucio by her wrist out of the bathroom. Once outside, Lucio allegedly punched him in the mouth.
The women allege they only spent a total of 10 minutes in the bathroom when they were told to leave. The responding officer allegedly rushed into the bathroom, grabbed Lucio and dragged her out.
Lucio is represented by Gerald Griggs. Griggs told 11 Alive “I’m concerned about that, considering there are numerous witnesses that will state they [the actresses] were an invitee onto the location,”
All three women were charged with criminal trespassing, and Lucio was charged with the extra charge of criminal obstruction.
.@11AliveNews has obtained pictures of Brittany Lucio’s injuries after she and two others were arrested during a bathroom incident at Houston’s Restaurant. #BoycottHoustons hashtag revived. Details: https://t.co/xWq3iBijUb pic.twitter.com/vPjn5BiSZu
— Faith Abubéy (@ReporterFaith) May 22, 2018
Celebrities including T.I. have joined in on the protests against the restaurant. A hashtag called #boycotthoustons has inflamed in the aftermath of this incident.
Houstons recently has released a statement stating:
“The evidence we have seen thus far shows that three women arrived approximately 30 minutes after closing time, they went into the restroom as a group after being told the restaurant was closed. The three stayed in the restroom for more than 10 minutes and refused to leave despite repeated requests from several managers to do so. Eventually, an off-duty Atlanta police officer was summoned with whom one or more of the women got into an altercation that led to arrests. Based on our current understanding, we believe our managers responded appropriately to this unfortunate situation.”
