ATLANTA — When Dennis McKinley purchased two chicken sandwiches on July 26, he didn’t expect to be placed in handcuffs by Emory Police just moments later.
McKinley, the owner of The Hot Dog Factory located in Smyrna and downtown Atlanta, went on social media claiming he was falsely accused of stealing his food after a routine doctor visit at Emory University Hospital Midtown.
Not only was McKinley accused of stealing, he was also handcuffed.
Under his @workwincelebrate Instagram, the owner, who has been in the spotlight on the hit Bravo reality TV show “The Real Housewives of Atlanta,” showed pics of bruising on his arm.
“I had a receipt, which could have easily ended her inquiry. There was a cashier that could have easily verified that I paid for everything I had. There were a number of easy resolutions that could have deescalated the unnecessary racial profiling and my detention by this officer. Instead, this Emory police officer chose to abuse her power. She chose aggression over common sense. She put her hands on her weapon, she put her hands on me, she publicly humiliated me, falsely and wrongfully accused me of stealing a sandwich and placed me in handcuffs so tight that she caused injuries to both of my wrists. I was profiled. She was wrong. No apology. Just more vitriol - she blamed me for the entire situation. It was disgusting. I could have been the next hashtag because she was that aggressive,” McKinley wrote in an Instagram post, along with a video.
Emory Police confirmed with 11Alive that McKinley was detained and released once officers learned he purchased the sandwiches.
“An Emory Police Department officer detained an individual suspected of not paying for an item. Once the officer learned the individual had purchased it, he was released,” a rep wrote in a statement.
However, why he was accused of stealing food and handcuffed are still unclear.
McKinley has made headlines for his romance with Atlanta housewives star Porsha Williams. The two welcomed a baby girl back in February.
The hot dog owner is also enlisting his fellow "Real Housewives of Atlanta" cast members for support. Michael T. Sterling, husband to castmember Eva Marcelle, has been hired by McKinley for legal counsel.
“Emory’s response is clearly the response of privilege. The privilege of someone completely out of touch with the reality of what that harrowing experience was like for Dennis," Sterling said in a statement shared on McKinley’s Instagram. "It is a response that does not recognize the pain and anguish of being profiled, despite your personal accomplishments and standing in society; they don’t understand what it’s like to be viewed as a criminal for no reason at all, except how you look; they don’t understand what it’s like to be falsely accused of something you did not do; publicly humiliated for no reason at all; handcuffed like a criminal; detained without provocation; and completely frightened to death that you could be shot by an overly aggressive police officer over a $4 sandwich. Are you kidding me Emory. This type of indifference by Emory just made the experience all the more painful. This is shameful."
MORE FROM THE A-SCENE!
