US woman calls police on black family for BBQing at a lake

A white woman has been caught on tape calling the police on a black family as they set up for a barbecue at a park in Oakland, California, reports the Daily Mail.

The unidentified woman in the viral video claims that the family were using a charcoal grill instead of a non-charcoal grill in one of Lake Merritt's designated grilling zones.

A bystander named Michelle Snider, noticed the commotion and confronted the woman for 'harassing' the family, camera in hand, to record the 25-minute verbal altercation.

The April 29 video is one of many that have surfaced on the internet recently, showing white people calling the police on black people for doing everyday activities such as sitting in Starbucks, participating in a college tour, and taking a nap in a campus lounge.

In the video, Snider asks behind the camera: 'Why are you so bent out of shape over them being here?'

The woman replies: 'Because it causes extra money from our city to do things when children get injured because of improperly disposed coals.'

Police responded to the incident after the woman's call but did not issue any citations.

However, authorities questioned the family for one hour, according to Oakland Council member Lynette Gibson McElhaney.

McElhaney told the Huffington Post: 'In a city that needs significant policing services, we can't have those precious expensive resources squandered in a frivolous way.'

She added: 'Police are not a private security for any white person that's offended by the presence of black folks in our public spaces.'

The video has nearly half a million views and comments praise Snider's recording as a good Samaritan.

The woman walked away to meet police at a convenience store.

As Snider followed her with the camera, the woman began to cry and told the officer she was being harassed.

The officers spoke to both parties and diffused the situation without giving the family a fine.

Lake Merritt has six designated barbecue zones, three of which permit charcoal grills and three for 'non-charcoal portable grills'.

The family were using the incorrect grill for the area they were in, however it is not illegal to do so.

'We will do our part to lean into the conversation thoughtfully and [make sure] that the activities of black people aren't being overly policed,' McElhaney said.

Also In April, two black men were arrested while waiting for a potential business partner in Starbucks while another man was denied bathroom use and had the police called on him.

In response, the franchise announced on Thursday it is changing its bathroom policy after the two videos went viral igniting a racial firestorm.

Another racial incident came last month when two Native American boys had the police called on them while touring CSU Fort Collins campus.

A white woman in the group called the police because she said they were acting 'quiet', wearing t-shirts with 'demons' on them and just did not belong.