Campus Police officers detained a student Feb. 6 who they thought was implicated in an armed robbery from December. After releasing the student, an African American, without pressing charges, the student and his family request an official apology on behalf of the University for racial profiling. 

The student, who wishes to remain anonymous, said he was detained in the Atrium while eating lunch with his friends. He said he was taken to the Campus Police Department in handcuffs, and after questioning, police released him without a record. 

Police detained the student, a freshman, after getting a false tip that he was involved with robbing a resident of Avent Ferry Residence Hall Dec. 3, 2012. 

Lt. David Kelly, the public relations officer for Campus Police, said the robbed student lost his wallet, Xbox games and clothing items, including an expensive pair of shoes, during the breaking and entering of his dormitory. Kelly refused to comment on last week’s incident because of further investigations into the December robbery. 

The victim of the armed robbery, according to the detained student, called Campus Police after seeing the detained student wearing similar shoes in the Atrium.

“The police shouldn’t go after my son just because of his skin color and the fact he wears nice shoes,” said the detained student’s mother. “My son is an Eagle Scout, he was an honor student in high school … he’s just a sweet kid. Why should he be stereotyped and humiliated just because he has nice shoes and is black?”

The student and his family said they are still waiting for an apology from University officials, and the student said he’s most upset about being publically humiliated.

“The officers were professional, but what offends me was how they went about [questioning me],” the student said. “All the people eating lunch in the Atrium were probably thinking I was a criminal, and that’s not fair. I believe I deserve an apology.”