Black woman handed $385 fine for ‘talking too loud’ on her phone

A Black woman from Michigan was issued with a $385 (£271) fine by police, after she was “talking too loudly” on her phone.

Diamond Robinson, who was handed the ticket on Thursday following a complaint from a neighbor, claims she was targeted because she is Black.

Speaking to Fox 2 Detroit, Robinson said she was approached by the woman who asked: “Do you think you can get off your phone or talk lower?”

Robinson told the outlet: “One of those things, she said, and I said ‘get out of my face’ and I proceeded to walk past her. She is saying... whatever she is saying – three minutes later, Eastpointe police pulls up.”

At this point, Robinson began livestreaming on Facebook Live, saying “I’m not doing anything wrong by walking up and down the street talking on my phone.

“I get a ticket for being a public nuisance because I’m talking too loud on my phone. That’s why I got a ticket?”

When Fox 2 Detroit approached the neighbour for a comment, she simply said that the $385 fine “speaks for itself”.

In an update to their initial report, the outlet said that local police issued the fine because “she could be heard from approximately 150 feet away” and when officers tried to talk to Robinson, she refused.

The force added in a statement: "The officers acted professionally when speaking with Ms. Robinson. Officers respond to all police dispatches and had no option but to go to the scene of the complaint. We expect our officers to maintain public peace. This can often be accomplished through discussions and negotiations, but sometimes enforcement action has to be taken.”

The force now plans to facilitate mediation between Robinson and the neighbour following the incident.