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Needham Police Department (Dan Libon/Patch)
NEEDHAM, MA A man who was arrested and later cleared of shoplifting charges filed a lawsuit in federal court Wednesday accusing the town of Needham and the Needham Police Department of racial bias during the January 2020 incident at a CVS store.
In his complaint, Marvin Henry, 37, of Boston, said police did not read him Miranda rights, searched him without asking, left him handcuffed outside the store for more than 30 minutes, and publicly humiliated him. The charges were dropped in September after police said surveillance video at the store on Highland Avenue did not show Henry, who works in Needham, entering the store.
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After pushing Henry up against his Honda Odyssey, the officers would hold him for over 30 minutes on suspicion of shoplifting; even though the 37-year-old father of four, who works as a massage therapist in Needham, carried a receipt.
Almost six months later, lawyers representing Henry sent a letter to police Chief John Schlittler containing his account of the incident and accusing officers of racial profiling and wrongful arrest. The letter called for the department to review the incident and asked for an apology to be issued to Mr. Henry.