Eric André Files Lawsuit Claiming He Was Profiled By Cops At Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport

Eric Andre

Eric André is suing officers at an airport in Georgia after he was profiled as a drug dealer on two different occasions while he was traveling. Read more!

Eric André has filed a lawsuit against Clayton County, Georgia, officials over alleged racial profiling.

“The Eric Andre Show” star and fellow comedian Clayton English submitted documents in a federal court in Atlanta claiming they were singled out by officers at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on different occasions because they are Black.

In a statement, André alleged he was illegally stopped in April 2020 and questioned over drugs shortly before he was due to board a flight.

“(People) were gawking at me like I was a perpetrator when I had done nothing wrong. It definitely did not feel like a consensual encounter whatsoever,” he said at a press conference, calling the experience “dehumanizing” and “traumatizing.”

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Shortly after the alleged incident, André tweeted that he was “racially profiled” by two plain clothes police officers and stopped for a “random” search.

In response, a Clayton County Police Department spokesperson insisted André “chose to speak with investigators” and “voluntarily consented to a search of his luggage.”

Meanwhile, English claimed officers blocked him from boarding his flight in October 2020, asked him to hand over identification, and searched his bag.

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“I was almost on the plane when in the jet bridge, two officers popped out, showed their badges and started asking questions, whether I had illegal drugs like cocaine and meth. I felt the need to comply because they made me move to the side of the tunnel where they took my ticket and ID…I felt completely powerless. I felt violated. I felt cornered. I felt like I had to comply if I wanted everything to go smoothly,” he stated.

In the lawsuit, André and English claim the police program violated their constitutional rights. They are seeking a jury trial as well as damages and legal costs.

A spokesperson for Clayton County declined to comment on the lawsuit.