Bank calls cops for Black man cashing the check from his boat sale in Arizona

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Authorities were called on a Black Arizona man attempting to cash a check he received after selling a boat. The man, Almond Brewer, went to Pinal County Federal Credit Union in Apache Junction to cash the $3,200 check only to be surrounded by police after a manager doubted its authenticity.

According to a local report from 12 News, the incident occurred in October 2021 when the credit union manager called 911 — while Brewer waited — and told them the personal check was fake. The report notes that Brewer told the teller he had received the check after selling his boat to a woman on Facebook Marketplace, “and she looked kind of surprised.”

According to the bank, the check had “red flags” like an old log of the credit union, as well as a routing and checking account number that didn’t match the member’s information.

However, after running the check through a third-party verifier, its authenticity was deemed “inconclusive,” a fact the manager did not tell the police. When contacted by the credit union — after the police had been called — the account holder verified she’d signed the check, but police didn’t learn that until 10 minutes into their interaction with a stunned Brewer.

“It was just, ‘oh, you know, Black guy locks in his hair, tattoos, came on a Harley, you know?'” Brewer told 12 News. “Let’s assume the worst.”

“Why embarrass somebody like that? Why, you know, make them feel less than a man,” he later wondered.

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