woman calls police on black family for bbqing at a lake in oakland - charcoal grill

Last month, a white woman called the police in a black family in Lake Merritt, Oakland, California, while they were preparing for a day in the park.
According to the unidentified woman, their crime was to use charcoal barbecues in the park's designated barbecue area, not "non-grilling" barbecuesCharcoal Grill.
The incident on April 29 was filmed by a witness named Michelle Snyder, who confronted the woman by calling the police.
In recent weeks, events have taken place across the United States. S.
There are white people calling the police on black people and other people of color, taking part in activities such as sitting at Starbucks, staying at Airbnb, taking a nap and taking part in a university campus tour.
Police responded to the incident, according to Oakland MP Lynette Gibson McElhaney, but did not issue any citations despite the family being detained and being questioned for an hour.
"In a city that requires a lot of police service, we can't waste these precious and expensive resources in a frivolous way," McElhaney told HuffPost . ".
She added: "For any white person who has been offended by black people appearing in our public places, the police are not private security guards.
"Snyder's face-off video went viral on Thursday after a broadcast at San Francisco news station KRON4.
Passers-by, including Angela Williams, gathered to ask why she called the police.
Williams told Huffington Post that when she saw a woman standing alone by a man in front of the grill, she had just finished her walk by the lake, "frowning on her face.
Williams called the woman "aggressive", "rude" and "no. friendly.
"She is very close, uncomfortable, but far from their physical space," she told Huffington Post . ".
Williams later learned that the man's name was ansajo Abran, who posted the incident on Twitter and took photos of the woman standing near the barbecue.
Abrams told the San Francisco Chronicle that the woman began arguing with him that his Grill was illegal as he prepared it.
"I went ahead and told her, 'Hey, there's no logo posted.
I believe I am in the right field.
"Continue your day, don't bother me," she said to the newspaper . ".
"So she said, 'No, I'm not going to leave you alone.
I want you to turn this off, or I'll call the police.
There are six designated BBQ areas in Lake Merritt, three allowed to use charcoal grills, and three designated for "non-
According to the Oakland City website, portable charcoal grill.
The family is having a barbecue-
The specified area, but incharcoal” zone.
Williams told Huffington Post that the woman was waiting near the barbecue after a standoff with her, so Williams tried to ease tensions.
"I have had some innocuous conversations, so [the woman]
"I will walk away because her tone is very aggressive," Williams told Huffington Post . ".
After a while, Snyder's husband, Ken Qi Smith, was there to grill and face the woman with a camera.
"Why are you so unhappy that they are here?
Snider asked the woman, as she heard in the video below.
"Because when the children are injured because of improper handling of coal, it will bring extra money from our city," the lady replied . ".
In the end, the woman went to a nearby convenience store to meet the police and began to cry, saying she had been harassed.
Snyder followed her to the police and asked the woman to return a card she said she had taken from her.
Member McElhaney said she was not aware of any reports of injuries to children from abandoned coal.
Dana Riley, a spokeswoman for the Oakland Park Department, told Huffington Post that the last time they received a report that a child had been burned down by abandoned coal by the lake was in 2015.
Smith told kron4 that he and his family had a barbecue in that park for decades and that he often saw people barbecue there with charcoal grills.
Smith said: "She said we trespassed illegally and we were not welcome, and then she turned around and said, 'You are all going to jail. '".
Williams said she stayed to observe the situation in order to provide witness statements to the police when needed.
"I approached because, first, Onsayo was alone;
Second, the white woman was aggressive with him. . .
Third, I feel that if the police come, then the facts may be misunderstood, "she told Huffington Post.
"I do think this woman is unfairly targeting them," Williams added . ".
"The rest of the lake is having a barbecue, which is a common situation.
According to the Chronicle, the police finally received reports from both sides that they had been harassed by each other.
McElhaney hopes the seriousness of the event can serve as a teachable moment and suggests that "everyone should ask themselves if they should call the police.
"I know the people who called Stephon Clark felt very bad, and it ended with a loss of life," she said . " She was referring to the unarmed 22-year-
Black old man shot by police in Sacramento, northeast of Oakland.
"We have white people. they obviously feel 12-year-
Old Tamir Rice, he lost his life in 20 seconds, "said maclihani, noting that 2014 police officers shot and killed a black child playing with an air gun toy gun.
The member said the police involved in the Lake Merritt incident "did their best" to deal with the situation.
She will get in touch with the police to find out "what exactly happened" and is investigating possible changes to the Lake Merritt BBQ regulations.
"We will do our part to think carefully and [make sure]
"Black people's activities are not overregulated," she said . ".
Comments from the Oakland Park Department updated the story.