The Latest: Black Airbnb guests questioned by police to sue

LOS ANGELES – The Latest on three black people who were questioned after leaving an Airbnb rental (all times local):

4:21 p.m.

A lawsuit is planned by three black people briefly detained by police in Southern California after a 911 caller wrongly reported they might be burglars.

The Rialto Police Department said Monday that it has received notice of legal action by the three, who were leaving an Airbnb rental with their luggage when a neighbour called police on April 30.

Police said they were polite during the 22-minute interaction.

But one of the renters, Kells Fyffe-Marshall, wrote on social media that they were “surrounded” by seven police cars and told to put up their hands. She says a helicopter was tracking them and an officer accused them of lying.

The encounter is the latest example of friction between law enforcement and minorities. Last month, two black men in Philadelphia were arrested after a Starbucks employee called police because they hadn’t bought anything.

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This story corrects ext. headline to say three black people were detained, not three black women

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2:59 p.m.

A lawsuit is planned by three black people briefly detained by police in Southern California after a 911 caller wrongly reported they might be burglars.

The Rialto Police Department said Monday that it has received notice of legal action by the three, who were leaving an Airbnb rental with their luggage when a neighbour called police on April 30.

Police said they were polite during the 22-minute interaction.

But one of the renters, Kells Fyffe-Marshall, wrote on social media that they were “surrounded” by seven police cars and told to put up their hands.

The encounter is the latest example of friction between law enforcement and minorities. Last month, two black men in Philadelphia were arrested after a Starbucks employee called police because they hadn’t bought anything.