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Three African-American teens found themselves in handcuffs on Thursday after they were caught selling water bottles at Washington D.C.s National Mall without a permit. In a statement, Sgt. Anna Rose of the U.S. Park Police said that the teenstwo 17 year olds and a 16-year-oldwere placed in handcuffs and detained for the safety of the officers and of the individuals.
A photo snapped of three plainclothes officers detaining the teenagers near the Mall's Smithsonian Castle went viral Friday after passerby Tim Krepp, a tour guide, tweeted the image of the boys in handcuffs sitting next to a bin of plastic water bottles.
My kids sell water and everyone smiles at them. These kids do it and get arrested. It IS racist," Krepp wrote, later adding, "God forbid the actual free market be allowed on our National Mall."
The photo sparked public outrage over the authorities aggressive handling of the boys, with several commenters, including Krepp, calling the officers' decision to handcuff and detain the teens a racial injustice.
However, Rose said that the incident was blown out of proportion"
Vending on the National Mall is illegal without a permit," Rose said, adding that the teens were released without charges after their parents arrived to the parks police station.
The parks police are still being requested to explain why the officers decided to handle the situation with such severity. In a letter to park Police Chief Robert MacLean on Friday, Democratic D.C. Council member Charles Allen asked why the agency thought it was appropriate to arrest the teens for something as menial as selling water bottles, NBC Washington reported.
Although Allen admitted that the teens were in violation of the parks vending laws, he noted that the officers would have most likely taken a softer approach if it had been small children running a lemonade stand at the same location.