Former Police Sergeant Wrongly Accused of Theft, Banned from Morrisons Stores

A former police sergeant, who received a nationwide ban from Morrisons supermarkets following an incorrect accusation of shoplifting, is now requesting an apology. Jez Daniels asserts that employees “racially profiled” him, alleging suspicious conduct as he purchased rosé wine and chocolates at a Newport branch. The RAF veteran, aged in his 40s, stated he wore a face mask in adherence to prevailing Covid restrictions, remarking: “They saw a black guy with his face covered up and assumed he must be here to steal.” Morrisons declined to provide a comment. Mr Daniels expressed that he now feels “very uncomfortable” when in supermarkets. The incident occurred in February 2022, amidst the Covid pandemic, when he was observed being followed within the Morrisons store located in Rogerstone, Newport. “I was wearing a surgical-style face mask – in compliance with store policy, with Welsh government legislation as well,” Mr Daniels stated. He had planned to purchase wine and chocolate for his children, but noted that he became conscious of employees tracking his movements. He remarked: “I knew straight away that they decided I was a thief.” His thought process was: “I thought, OK, well, if I carry on with what I’m doing, the staff will realise I’m not trying to steal – and they’ll leave me alone.” Subsequently, he selected some crisps and mentioned that he deliberately kept his shopping bag open to demonstrate he was not concealing any items. Mr Daniels, who previously served as a police officer across two forces and also as a volunteer firefighter, recounted: “They cornered me in the aisle.” He added: “They had staff either end – I started to fear for my safety.” He opted to depart, at which point an employee approached him, informing him of his ban and instructing him to exit. He further stated: “I was very disappointed.” He elaborated: “To be blunt, I think it’s because they saw a black guy with his face covered up and then they just assumed he must be in here to steal.” He reached out to Morrisons’ head office, but described feeling “gaslit” by the reply he received. BBC Wales has reviewed an email sent by the company to Mr Daniels, which states: “You are now no longer able to shop with us or enter a Morrisons store.” The email continued: “The reason for this decision is due to your recent behaviour as observed in the store.” Additional documents viewed by BBC Wales indicate that one staff member characterized Mr Daniels as uttering “aggressive abusive words.” A different employee reported becoming suspicious because he “entered the store without a basket or trolley” and proceeded “straight to the alcohol aisle.” Mr Daniels also stated he was accused of taking £200-worth of spirits, an accusation he refutes. He commented: “Since the Morrisons incident, I’ve spoken to a lot of people, white people,” adding: “I’ve told them some of the things that Morrisons have said was suspicious – and they say ‘but I do that, I’ve never been stopped’.” Mr Daniels operates a cybersecurity business from his Newport office, with the UK government listed among his clientele. Leveraging his professional expertise, he submitted a Data Subject Access Request, compelling the supermarket to furnish CCTV footage and employee statements concerning him. Upon reviewing the CCTV footage, Mr Daniels reported feeling “vindicated.” He mentioned that he had begun to question his own memory of the incident, but then stated: “The CCTV recordings matched my recollection of events, they did not show what Morrisons claimed.“They did not show me being aggressive. They did not show me abandoning trolleys. They did not show me in possession of £200-worth of spirits.” He further expressed: “Even just talking about it now is triggering.” Subsequently, Mr Daniels presented Morrisons with its own surveillance footage. An email seen by BBC Wales from the company acknowledged “discrepancies in the statements provided by the store and what the CCTV footage shows,” though it did not address the allegations that he took £200-worth of alcohol. The email indicated that the ban was being lifted “as a gesture of goodwill,” yet it persisted in accusing Mr Daniels of “acting suspiciously” and behaving aggressively. It also stated there was “no racial motivation behind the complaint,” and an employee denied any racist intent. Mr Daniels now seeks an apology and an admission that the incident was incorrect. He stated: “They insisted it was all my fault – what I would like now is recognition from Morrisons that their staff were wrong.” He currently endeavors to avoid supermarkets, as the event has left him feeling “anxious and fearful.” He explained: “It’s just the whole supermarket environment, I’m very uncomfortable in it, so I do my shopping online.” Mr Daniels harbors significant concern regarding “consumer racial profiling” – a phenomenon where shoppers perceive being targeted due to their skin color – to the extent that he has instructed his children in “defensive techniques” to prevent accusations of shoplifting. He concluded: “It’s not a new phenomenon – I’ve lived here all my life,” adding: “It’s only really in the last five years that the rest of society are starting to acknowledge it actually does exist.”