Keyon Harrold, a well-known trumpeter, said he and his son were physically attacked by the woman at the hotel.
An acclaimed jazz musician said his 14-year-old son was accosted and falsely accused of stealing a woman’s iPhone at a boutique hotel in New York City over the weekend. The incident prompted an apology from the hotel and calls from the family’s lawyer to bring charges against the woman. Keyon Harrold, a well-known trumpeter who has performed with the likes of Beyoncé, claimed he and his teenage son, who are both Black, were assaulted by the woman who claimed the child took her smartphone. He shared a video on social media showing part of their encounter with her inside the lobby of the Arlo hotel in Manhattan Saturday. The woman told the teen to hand over the phone, but Harrold’s son replied, « This is my phone. » Standing behind a male hotel manager, the woman continued to demand the device. « Are you kidding me? You feel like there’s only one iPhone made in the world? » Harrold is heard asking her. The manager approached the boy and asked to see the phone, mentioning he was manager at the hotel. « I don’t care, this is my son, » Harrold told him, adding that the two were hotel guests who just came down the elevator. After the manager said he was just trying to help, Harrold responded, « But you’re not helping, what you’re being is disrespectful… My son has nothing to do with her.
