A recent confrontation at a Los Angeles beauty supply store involving an elderly Black man and the shop’s workers has gone viral online. Atlanta Black Star shared the clip on their Instagram profile and said workers wrongfully accused a Black man of stealing, and a group of Black women stepped in to defend him and confront the store employees.
The clip opens at the doorway. A man described in the video account as the store owner, an Asian man with long dark hair in a black T-shirt and gray shorts, stands holding a blue-handled grabber tool. He is heard shouting, “Give me that s–t. Okay, give me that f—ing wig, bro.”
The elderly man was identified as the customer. He was carrying a black trash bag, and was seen standing just outside the door. He answers, “Why you smack me, bro?” The owner then steps forward, saying, “Hey, give me- come on, come on, come on,” and appearing to strike or shove the customer with the grabber.
California law limits how long a store may hold a suspected shoplifter
On the sidewalk, the owner is heard saying, “I warned your a– already, bro. I warned you, bro. Yeah, I warned your a– already the last time you come back here.” The customer, holding a small white box and a blue item, repeatedly says, “Give me my s–t. Give me my s–t. Give me my s–t.” The owner asks, “What was you doing? What’s in there?” The customer replies, “That s–t from CVS.”
A woman in a black T-shirt confronts the same customer and uses a green grabber tool to pull items out of his black trash bag. She is heard saying, “That s–t from CVS. That s–t ain’t even your s–t. That s–t is from CVS. That’s not even yours. All that s–t Just say CVS.”
Packaged goods and phone cases spilled out as the man bends down and puts the items back in the bag. Two women inside are also described watching part of the earlier exchange. Retail theft accusations have repeatedly landed on Black shoppers, such as a Pennsylvania Black woman set to sue Target after being detained over stolen items she went out of her way to prove she didn’t take.
The woman in the black T-shirt then says, “You know what, I don’t even want to hear it. I don’t even want to hear it.” A woman in a white T-shirt, who had been standing nearby, starts to walk away. The woman in the black T-shirt follows and says, “Why? What? Why? What? You said the Bronnie Beauty Supply out. I don’t even think I want to be in this s–t. Come on, let’s go. I’ll go somewhere else, cuz he brought that.”
As they leave, she says, “I thought I will f–k you and them b—-es up. Get your stuff. Make sure they don’t hit you. Come on, come on, cuz they better not hit you with a motherf—ing thing. They better not hit you with s–t.” She also says, “Get your s–t. That’s why I kill these clubs. Them b—-es sitting up grabbing on the bag.”
The camera follows them into a parking lot where a black SUV is parked. The customer is heard saying, “Thank you for rescuing me,” and later, “Oh, but man, that s–t just had me mad than a motherf—er.” Shoppers of color say they’re routinely treated as suspects in stores, as a Florida Black woman was watched for 20 mins at a Barnes Noble.
Hedding Law Firm, writing about California shoplifting law, says Penal Code 459.5 PC requires prosecutors to prove that a person entered a business open to the public during regular hours and intended to steal something worth $950 or less. The firm says it is a myth that someone must leave the store with merchandise to be charged. It also says related charges can include burglary, trespass, petty theft, and grand theft, depending on what prosecutors can prove.
On detention, the firm says California’s merchant’s privilege, also called shopkeeper’s privilege, comes from Penal Code 490.5 PC. It quotes the statute as saying a merchant may detain a person for a reasonable time to investigate when the merchant has probable cause to believe the person is attempting to take, or has unlawfully taken, merchandise from the premises.
The firm says that detention can be used only to investigate a suspected shoplifting offense, and only for a reasonable time. It also says businesses may send a civil demand letter seeking recovery costs and restitution, separate from any criminal case.
Viewers on the post split over what the clip showed. One commenter urged shoppers to take their money elsewhere and wrote, “Stop going to them. Shop else where please.” Another wrote, “Stop giving them your business.” A third treated the stop as a crime against the customer and wrote, “They assaulted and kidnapped him. File charges.”
Other commenters sided with the store. One wrote, “Don’t steal. Problem solved.” Another wrote, “this is funny cuz he definitely was trying to steal he went in there with cvs stolen merch.” A separate commenter pointed to a civil claim and wrote, “People – you can sue for false arrest and get a check for your time. Look up the requirements in your county/city.”
Published: Oct 8, 2026 10:35 am