An investigation is launched after a black teen is followed and harassed while walking in his own neighborhood

Authorities in Florida have launched an investigation after a viral video showed a group of adult white men following a black teenager and asking him questions as he walked through his own neighborhood.

According to the Sarasota Herald-TribuneThe incident happened in a Sarasota neighborhood after Hurricane Milton hit the state. The teen’s mother, Whitney Portela, shared the video of the encounter on Facebook. It was also shared on TikTok and has since been viewed more than three million times on social media, with several people condemning the white men’s actions.

Portela labeled the incident as “racial, profiling and harassment” in her post. “Here’s a little backstory: In the morning aftermath of Hurricane Milton, my son wanted to walk around the neighborhood to talk to his girlfriend on the phone because we didn’t have power in the house which was spotty. THIS is what he was dealing with,” she wrote.

“Even after telling these men that he lives here, we are not satisfied with his response and continue to harass him. This was not a one minute altercation, my son was followed for over ten minutes while he was doing this. I’m so happy he captured every moment, and grateful that my child is still here.”

Portela also said the incident took a mental toll on her as she had flashbacks of the Trayvon Martin shooting. “I don’t want to live in a community that doesn’t welcome me and my children because of the color of our skin… these (sic) situations sent me back into a deep depression, thinking about 2009 with Trayvon Martin… this man who grabs something from his car… What if that guy didn’t stop him? All I can think of is: could my son still be here?!” she wrote.

She added: “I’m posting this because people need to see that racism still exists. This is racist, profiling and harassment at its finest. Many people have lost their lives because of these ignorant idiots. Please help me get this video out because this isn’t fair and it doesn’t feel good. #blacklivesmatter #blm #helpme”

In the video, we see adult white men following the black teenager as he walks. The teen is then asked if he lives in the area. “He clearly doesn’t live here,” one of the men is heard claiming.

“You’ve passed my house four times, I don’t know you, I’ve never seen you before and you walk past my house over and over again,” another man is heard telling the teen. Another man is also heard asking the teen if he “lives here.”

“I’m part of the neighborhood,” the teenager answers. One of the men asks the teen if he lives in the area before claiming the black teen “went to see my wife.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” the teen says. “And I think I can walk around my neighborhood.” “Yes, if you live here,” you hear one of the men say in response.

Elsewhere in the video, one of the men is seen exiting a white car and grabbing something from the passenger seat. He is then seen trying to aggressively walk towards the teen before another man stops him.

Another video also shows the teen talking to a Sarasota County sheriff’s deputy and reporting on the white men. He also asks the deputy if what the men are doing constitutes harassment.

The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office announced Tuesday that it has launched an investigation into the incident. “The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office is aware of a video circulating on various social media platforms of an incident that occurred in the Skye Ranch neighborhood on Thursday, October 10,” the sheriff’s office said in the statement on Facebook.

“Detectives have been assigned and are actively locating and interviewing witnesses in what appears to be an altercation involving neighbors and a male subject who filmed himself walking. The Sheriff’s Office takes these matters seriously and will fully investigate any allegations of criminal activity.”

Trevor Harvey, the president of the Sarasota chapter of the NAACP, also described the incident as “disturbing” and called for the men to be “held accountable.” “When the video came across my desk, it was very disturbing,” Harvey said Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

“It is disturbing that we continue to fight these types of issues with young men of color this year. It’s sad that we can’t even walk around our neighborhood and not be bothered by someone who doesn’t look like us because they think we don’t belong. It is a clear representation of what is happening in our country.”

Harvey added: “It speaks to the climate we’re in. It’s disheartening that we still have to deal with these kinds of problems. I was immediately concerned because it reminded me of Ahmahd Aubrery, and we don’t want a tragedy like this in our community… these men need to be held accountable.”

Harvey also said they have since been in contact with the family and the sheriff’s office. “We don’t know the outcome yet, but we are in it and we are in constant contact and walking with the family and meeting with the sheriff to make sure the right outcome happens,” Harvey said.

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