He looked at the officer, then at the shopping bag, then back at the officer. "Excuse me, what are you talking about?" Pierce stepped closer, his tone getting sharper. "I asked you a question, boy. Where did you steal those sneakers from?"
Khalil stood up from the bench, his heart starting to pound. "I didn't steal anything. I just bought them. I have the receipt right here." Pierce cut him off.
"That's a lie. There's no way you could afford those sneakers." From behind Pierce, Courtney Blake's voice rang out loud enough for everyone at the bus stop to hear. "Those sneakers cost over $5,000. How can a small boy like him afford that?
He must have stolen them or scammed the store somehow, or even worse, stole the money from someone. That's what his kind normally does." Pierce turned to look at Courtney, and instead of questioning her assumptions, he nodded like she had just confirmed exactly what he was thinking. He turned back to Khalil. Khalil's voice got firmer.
"I have my receipt. I paid in full. I didn't steal any money. I've been saving for months, and my parents supported me. If you don't believe me, you can go into the store and confirm it.
I know my rights. This is racial profiling." Pierce's expression hardened. "Shut up. You must think I'm a fool.