VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Jamar Mackey spoke to the press Wednesday to demand justice after he was handcuffed and wrongfully detained at Lynnhaven Mall over the weekend.
"My family and I were humiliated, embarrassed," said Mackey. "As a family, we are traumatized."
Mackey was seen on a video that's garnered millions of views online being wrongfully detained by Virginia Beach police and walked out of the mall.
The officers were at the mall looking for someone using stolen credit cards. They found Mackey sitting in the food court with his fiancee and two sons. Mackey fit the suspect's description but after he was detained, police learned he didn't commit the crime.
Many who saw the video online decried the incident and criticized the way police handled Mackey and their investigation.
On Wednesday, Mackey recounted what happened and called on people to join him in demanding justice for what he says was an "unjust attack" against him and his family.
“Beyond shock, my family and I were humiliated, embarrassed and as a family, we are traumatized," Mackey said. “I have always known the Virginia Beach Police Department to be racist. They have no respect for Black people, but especially Black men. I know systemic racism exists in the city of Virginia Beach and within this police department.”
“They’re supposed to be trained to de-escalate and the first thing they did was escalate," Mackey's lawyer Don Scott noted during the press conference.
Mackey didn't say whether he planned on filing a lawsuit against the city, but insisted that the police detention was uncalled for. Scott questioned the necessity of handcuffs for a reportedly non-violent offense and said Mackey and his family received COVID-19 testing out of concern because the officers were not wearing masks. As of Wednesday, they were waiting for their results, said Mackey.
“I am here hoping no other father and families and sons have to endure this trauma," Mackey said. “I want justice. I have sons coming up in Virginia Beach. I don’t want this to happen to them. I don’t want this to happen to anyone, any family.”
He also called on popular figures from Virginia Beach, like Pharrell Williams, to speak out.
“I am asking that those with a platform that have powers like Pharrell Williams and other well-known figures from Virginia Beach use their considerable influence to demand justice."
On Saturday, When Mackey's fiancee saw he was being detained, she picked up her phone and started filming. She said the only thing that happened before she started recording is the man in the video wearing gray asked them if they drove a black SUV.
Police Chief Paul Neudigate apologized and said as a result of the attention, the department will review its policies and procedures. He also said the department has to recognize when its actions “greatly inconvenience a member of the community."
Virginia Beach Mayor Bobby Dyer said he will wait until the department completes its review before commenting on the incident. However, he said he believes the conversations that come from this will help the city.