Ben Crump Forced To Delete Social Media Post
A false social media post by prominent Black Lives Matter attorney Benjamin Crump drew swift and strong backlash when he accused a pregnant nurse of being racist. Crump, who is well-known for taking on high-profile cases related to police brutality, had accused Sarah Comrie of attempting to “steal” a Citi Bike from a young black man in New York City.
However, records from Citi Bike cleared Comrie’s name when receipts were revealed showing that she had paid for the bike rental. The story went viral on social media after a video of Comrie’s confrontation with a group of black teens over the bike rental was uploaded, with many accusing Comrie of racism.
At the time, Crump was quick to denounce Comrie and post the video on his own social media with the caption, “This is unacceptable!” He went on to state that Comrie was “grossly trying to weaponize her tears to paint this man as a threat” and that this behavior had “endangered so many black men in the past.”
Nolte: Corporate Media Smear Pregnant Hospital Worker as Racist Bike Thief https://t.co/LqwnwC18FY via @BreitbartNews
— John Ocasio-Rodham Nolte (@NolteNC) May 19, 2023
Now, Crump has had to issue a public apology for his mischaracterization of Comrie. The New York Post reported that after an investigation revealed that Comrie had paid for the bike rental prior to her confrontation (as evidenced by receipts from Citi Bike) Crump quickly deleted his post.
“I regret any embarrassment or harm to Sarah Comrie that was caused by the post before I had the opportunity to verify the situation and its true context,” Crump said. “I am sorry Sarah Comrie, and I hope this incident will spark a broader debate about how we treat people in difficult circumstances.”
Comrie’s attorney, Justin Marino, said his client was thrust into an “ordeal” by the false claims, resulting in her employer placing her on a leave of absence. Marino said he will be filing suits of defamation to defend Comrie’s name and protect her from further harm.
“She’s been called a thief,” Marino told Fox News. “There are reasons defamation laws exist, and we plan to pursue that.”
This is not the first time Crump has been under fire for his activism. In the early days of the Black Lives Matter movement, he appeared to support the “hands up, don’t shoot” narrative surrounding the death of Michael Brown, despite forensic evidence suggesting otherwise.
The truth of the matter is that Comrie was the victim here, and not only of the teens who left her with no bike but of a national smear campaign by those desperate to prove that America is not the least racist country on the planet.
> @AttorneyCrump deleted this tweet defaming pregnant NYC nurse Sarah Comrie https://t.co/OHznOnu6Jw pic.twitter.com/yoM8bdRO65
— Chuck Ross (@ChuckRossDC) May 19, 2023