Maryland man arrested after helping neighbor blames racial profiling

A black man who was seen in a viral video getting arrested in Montgomery County, Md., earlier this month after he helped his intoxicated neighbor get home safely believes he was a victim of racial profiling.

Footage of the incident, which took place on Nov. 17, shows Samir Ahmed being pinned down to a car by several officers as his neighbors repeatedly shout “he lives here.”

Ahmed told The Washington Post in a report published on Tuesday that he was returning to his home on the morning of the arrest when he noticed his neighbor repeatedly falling down and decided to help him to his residence.

{mosads}Shortly after helping his neighbor, Ahmed said he noticed a number of police cars and firetrucks gathering near his home. 

Ahmed said police told him someone had contacted local authorities to aid his neighbor.

After explaining to police that he had already walked his neighbor home, Ahmed said an officer then asked him for his neighbor’s exact address. 

Ahmed told the Post he was reluctant to share his neighbor’s address, as he felt the matter was resolved.

Ahmed said that’s when things began to go awry and video showed him being pinned down to a car. 

Shortly after his arrest, a Montgomery police officer told onlookers that an officer had “smelled an odor of marijuana” coming from Ahmed.

“She addressed him with respect to that and he didn’t want to allow her to search him,” the officer reportedly said.

According to the Post, police also wrote in charging documents that they found a bag of “suspected marijuana” in Ahmed’s coat.

Ahmed said he believes his race played a factor in his arrest, saying, “I know if I was blond with blue eyes it wouldn’t have mattered.”

The Montgomery County Police Department did not return requests for comments from the Post but said it is preparing a statement about Ahmed’s arrest.