Tag: racial tension

Three women are accusing a Georgia restaurant of racial discrimination after being arrested for allegedly taking too long in the bathroom.

WMAZ reports Brittany Lucio, Asia’h Epperson and Erica Walker asked to use the restroom at an Atlanta-area restaurant called Houston’s on Mother’s Day last week. A shift manager claims they were in the bathroom after the restaurant closed at 10 p.m. and, when they refused to leave, asked a police officer who was working security at the restaurant to escort them out.

A police report says the security officer found the women on their phones inside the restroom, ignoring his request to leave. When he grabbed Lucio by the wrist and said “Let’s go,” she pulled away and shouted “Get your hands off of me!”

The situation worsened from there; the officer says Lucio threw a punch, hitting his mouth. He asked Houston’s staff to call 911 for backup while restraining Lucio and Walker outside the restaurant.

Epperson, a former “American Idol” contestant and “Greenleaf” actress, began recording the incident on the phone, showing the officer pinning one of the two women down on the ground.

WSB-TV reports all three were arrested when additional officers arrived, and booked in Fulton County Jail. Lucio was charged with criminal trespass and felony obstruction; Walker and Epperson were charged with criminal trespass.

Lauren Pozen WSB@LaurenPozenWSB

These women were charged with a crime after they say a Houston’s security guard assaulted them. At 5, why they have the support of @Tip and what the security guard says led up to this.

Epperson told WSB-TV on Tuesday that she plans to take legal action against the Atlanta Police Department, claiming the officer lied on the police report. The restaurant was open and “full of people,” she said. They were in the restroom less than 10 minutes, including using a phone to give an Uber driver directions to pick them up, she added.

“We weren’t doing anything wrong. We were never asked multiple times to leave. That is a lie. We are moving forward very rapidly with this matter things will be handled legally,” Epperson said in a statement.

Epperson, 29, was a semi-finalist on “American Idol” season 7 in 2008. She also notably played Felicia in the 2015 movie “Straight Outta Compton” about N.W.A. rappers Ice Cube, Eazy-E and Dr. Dre.

Read more via: 3 women arrested after using bathroom in restaurant claim racial discrimination