An apartment manager has been placed on leave after video showed a black Indiana man being questioned by a white security officer for sitting by the pool at the complex where he lives.
Late last week, Shayne Holland said he had just finished a workout and was sitting outside the pool at the River Crossing at Keystone apartment complex on the north side of Indianapolis. Not long after he sat down, an off-duty police officer working security for the building approached him and things took a turn.
The unidentified officer, who appears in video to be in plain clothes, asked Holland for his address, he said.
"When she asked where I lived, I said I don't know you and you haven't identified yourself, so I'm not just going to give you my address,” he told the IndyStar, adding that he showed the woman his complex-issued key, which is required to enter the pool area.
The footage shows the officer contacting the apartment office to confirm if Holland was a resident.
After that, an apartment manager enters the pool area and Holland greets her by her first name.
Still, Holland is asked to leave the pool for not providing the officer with his address. Holland argues in the video that he pays for use of the facilities and notes that others at the pool weren’t asked for their addresses.
Barrett & Stokely, which manages the complex, said an investigation into what happened was underway as of Tuesday and the property manager was placed on administrative leave.
“We are disappointed that we weren’t able to handle this situation in a way in which everyone felt respected and understood,” the company said. “We should have communicated with all residents that we would have security on site, who would be asking for proof of residency.”
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The IndyStar reported that officers were on-site following an unrelated incident days earlier which involved a group of people who did not live at the building using the pool and refusing to leave. The publication reported the officer was off-duty at the time of the latest incident and IMPD was not investigating as of Wednesday.
Holland said he doesn’t plan on leaving the complex, but hoped his video would start a bigger conversation.
The footage has been viewed more than 30,000 times since it was posted last week.
