Target Security Guard Accused of Racial Profiling Black Shoppers Repeatedly

When two Black women finished scanning roughly $455 worth of Christmas toys and clothing at a Target self-checkout lane, they believed the hardest part of the trip was done. A Target asset protection employee had already told a nearby cashier to watch them and make sure they scanned everything. They had.

Once the guard realized he was on camera, he walked away. A manager stepped in and, according to viral video covered by Atlantablackstar, made things worse by shooing the women out of the store. A store employee identified in the footage as Jessica acknowledged the guard had done it all day but shrugged off the concern. Atlantablackstar reported the guard kept his job.

That incident is one of at least three racial profiling allegations against Target security personnel that have drawn terminations, mandatory retraining, civil rights lawsuits, and a $3.7 million corporate settlement.

In Westlake Village, California, Malik Aaron, Aaron Frederickson, and Greg Kim, all 16 or 17, were handcuffed and detained at a Target after their weekly ministry at Calvary Community Church. A store employee who had seen a group of Black men shoplifting iPhones earlier stopped the teenagers. When the teens tried to leave, employees blocked the exits with shopping carts. Deputies arrived; Malik Aaron began filming, and his family alleges a deputy slapped the phone from his hand, shoved him into a counter, and put him in a cruiser. Lost Hills Sheriff's Capt. Sal Becerra said an internal investigation found no "wrongdoing, use of force, violation of our department policies, or violation of any laws on behalf of the deputies." Target fired the security team member involved, apologized, and required all store leaders to retake mandatory security and racial bias training. A lawyer for the Aaron family told the Los Angeles Times she plans to file a civil rights lawsuit against Target on behalf of all three families.

"They were targeted because they were children of color," La Shaun Aaron, Malik's mother, said. "They were automatically associated with people that had committed a crime because they were also Black."

In Southfield, Michigan, Ashanae Davis, 20, was confronted by a guard on May 22 as she exited the store. The guard claimed she was wearing a stolen bikini bottom beneath her clothing and forced her to undress to prove her innocence. An African American employee apologized to Davis and told her attorney, Jasmine Rand, "This happens all the time," adding that he feared losing his job if he did not participate. Target fired the guard roughly two weeks later: "We're sorry for the actions of our former team member, who created an experience we don't want any guest to have at Target."

The incidents sit alongside a $3.7 million settlement Target reached in April in a lawsuit claiming its criminal background check process was biased against Black and Latino applicants.

The pattern carries liability for every team member working alongside asset protection. Compliant practice requires observed, individualized behavior as the basis for any stop, never race or association with a prior offender, and every stop requires documented justification. De-escalation should precede physical intervention, and any detention requires immediate AP leadership notification. If you witness a stop that appears based on appearance rather than specific conduct, report it to your ETL on duty and, if unresolved, to your store director before your shift ends. Guests can file concerns directly with Target through Guest Relations.

"We want everyone who shops at Target to feel welcomed and respected," the company said after the Michigan firing. Closing the gap between that statement and store-level reality requires more than a press release.