Police apologize after Subway staff calls 911 on NC black family who 'looked suspicious'

Felicia Dobson and her family made a pit stop at a Georgia Subway last week on their way back home from celebrating a grandmother's 81st birthday.

But the family never imagined restaurant employees would dial 911.

Dobson said after her family paid for their meal and ate together for about an hour, they were preparing to get back on the road to Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

The family, including Felicia and Othniel Dobson, Felicia's sister and their four children, used the restaurant's restrooms, filled up a reusable cup with ice and were getting ready to leave when an employee called the police, Dobson said.

"We were labeled as non-customers ... loiterers under suspicion of possible robbery to a 911 dispatcher," Dobson told The News & Observer.

"My family was in shock," she said, adding that she had never had anything like this happen "to this extent."

When asked why she thought the employee called 911 on her family, Dobson said simply, "Discrimination."

The employee called 911 asking for the police "to come through here please, ASAP. Now," according to WSBTV.com. "There's about eight people in a van. ... They keep going back and forth to the bathrooms by my back door."

During the 911 call, the employee also accused the family of filling water cups with soda, saying, "They need to go. They just need to go," WFMY reported.

Minutes later, a Newnan police officer arrived and questioned the family, telling them the employee said they looked suspicious, and was afraid they were going to rob the Subway, according to WSBTV.com.

The officer apologized to the family, Dobson said.

She said her family did nothing wrong and "we can't change our skin color," Dobson told The News & Observer.

The family received an apology by phone from the owner of that Newnan Subway franchise, according to The Associated Press.

"I take this very seriously and I am fully investigating," franchise owner Rosh Patel said in a statement. "I have also used this opportunity to reiterate to my staff the importance of making everyone feel welcome and providing great customer service."

As part of the investigation, the employee who called the police has been placed on administrative leave, WFMY reported.

If she could speak to the employee who called 911, Dobson told The News & Observer: "I would say to her that her actions were completely unwarranted and dangerous. Her actions are not excused."

Dobson wants the employee to be fired, according to theroot.com, saying the incident "breaks my heart. ... I have great kids. I have a great family."

This story was originally published July 9, 2018 at 11:32 AM with the headline "Police apologize after Subway staff calls 911 on NC black family who 'looked suspicious'."