AUGUST 22, 2014 · GREATER LOS ANGELES

When You Fit the Description

On August 22, 2014, on his way to a pre-Emmy event, he walked to his car to feed the parking meter while waiting for a friend. Police searching for a bank robbery suspect stopped him because he “fit the description” of a tall, bald Black man. He was handcuffed, held for about six hours on $100,000 bail and released without charges. The department said it deeply regretted the arrest, acknowledged breakdowns, adopted new protocols for reviewing alibi evidence, and worked with Belk on a police training video.

The arrest record remained, so he started #AutoErase™: when an agency arrests the wrong person, the agency, not the person, should erase the record automatically and at no cost.

This page holds the records, recordings and photos from that day and what came after, many of them published nowhere else.

Charles Belk sitting handcuffed on a curb beside a parking meter while two police officers stand nearby — On the curb, August 22, 2014.

FROM THE OFFICIAL RECORDS AND HIS OWN RECORDING

Six hours, minute by minute

5:16 pmAUGUST 22, 2014

0 minutes in custody

5:16 pm

A bank robbery is reported nearby on Wilshire Boulevard.

≈5:20 pm

Officers stop Charles less than 500 feet away. Within minutes: six police cars, handcuffs, a pat-down, back on the curb. His phone is recording.

≈5:25 pm

“That’s why I’m sitting here, because I don’t want to get shot.”

≈5:29 pm

A lieutenant explains: they are looking for a man with “a shaved head, a green shirt and tan pants.” Charles: “What you’re doing right now is ruining my reputation.”

≈5:36 pm

He asks his friend Rob to take a picture. That photo is the one the world will see.

6:06 pm

Formally arrested after a witness picks him out. The bank’s video, which would have cleared him, is already in officers’ hands but is not watched to the end.

7:29 pm

Booked on a felony charge. Bail: $100,000. No phone call. His lawyer waits in the lobby and is not allowed to see him.

11:35 pm

Released after detectives finally review the video. No charges. The arrest record stays.

≈1:20 am

Home in the dark. His car had been impounded. His wallet, cards and keys were handed back stuffed inside his shoes, and they sat like that on his living room floor for a week.

His shoes on the living room floor with his wallet, cards and keys stuffed inside, as the station handed them back

Times from the county inmate record and the department’s November 4, 2014 internal review. Times marked ≈ are estimated from his curb recording, which began moments after the stop.

ONLY ON CHARLESBELK.COM

Hear it

His phone kept recording on the curb for 36 minutes. Later that night, a friend recorded his lawyer at the station’s front desk. Pick a moment; the words appear as they are spoken.

REC“I don’t want to get shot”

Press play.

Selected moments from Charles’s own recordings, August 22, 2014. Phone numbers spoken on the recording are not included. Captions follow his transcript of the recording.

IN HIS OWN WORDS · FACEBOOK, AUGUST 2014

When You “Fit the Description”!

Within seconds, I was detained and told to sit on the curb of the very busy street, during rush hour traffic.

Within minutes, I was surrounded by 6 police cars, handcuffed very tightly, fully searched for weapons, and placed back on the curb.

Within an hour, I was transported to the Beverly Hills Police Headquarters, photographed, finger printed and put under a $100,000 bail…

Read the full post, as reprinted in D.O.M. Magazine (PDF) ↓

37,000+Facebook shares in one week

3,200Twitter shares

150,000+shares from news sites

From Charles’s essay “One Voice: The Power of Digital Media,” about a week after the arrest.

Aug. 24Thanks everyone for the support and the conversation.

Aug. 27Asks followers to share their thoughts directly with the police chief.

Aug. 29“One Week Later”: “the awful incident turned into awareness and action.”

Sept. 6“Tell your story!” The call that became the petition a day later.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2014 · THE NEXT MORNING

One post. One week. The world shares it.

He wrote it at home, still in shock. By the next week it had been shared more than 37,000 times on Facebook, 3,200 times on Twitter and 150,000+ times from news sites.

0Facebook shares

0Twitter shares

0shares from news sites

Counts from Charles’s essay “One Voice: The Power of Digital Media,” about a week after the arrest. Comments shown with first name and city only.

Charles BelkAugust 23, 2014 · Public

WHEN YOU “FIT THE DESCRIPTION”! It’s one of those things that you hear about, but never think it would happen to you… Within minutes, I was surrounded by 6 police cars, handcuffed very tightly, fully searched for weapons, and placed back on the curb…

👍 ❤️ 😮 0 shares

AUGUST 2014 AND AFTER

The world responded

37,000+ Facebook shares in the first week. Comments came in from 37 states and DC, and from 13 other countries and territories. A few of them, in their own words.

Never tired reading what you are accomplishing, never. You are a lighthouse for those who fit the description and hit the rocks or are about to.

Bill Baie-D'Urfé, Quebec, Canada

1 of 15

From public comments on Charles’s Facebook posts about the arrest and #AutoErase, 2014–2015. Shown by first name and city only; spelling lightly tidied, “…” marks cuts.

THE NEWS DESK · AUGUST 2014

The headlines pile up

Los Angeles TimesAug 26, 2014

Beverly Hills police regret holding black producer before Emmys

Robert J. Lopez

“Hey, I was ‘tall,’ ‘bald,’ a ‘male’ and ‘black,’ so I fit the description.”

Producer Charles Belk “matched the clothing and physical characteristics” of a suspected bank robber when he was pulled over by officers on Friday evening after he left a restaurant on Wilshire Boulevard, according to the Beverly Hills Police Department.

“We definitely regret the inconvenience that was caused.” — Sgt. Max Subin

Read the full story at Los Angeles Times ↗

Los Angeles TimesAug 27, 2014

Producer on ‘brink of tears’ after mistaken-ID arrest in Beverly Hills

Hailey Branson-Potts

“If something like this can happen to ME, it can certainly happen to ANYONE!”

“I wanted to cooperate … because I was convinced throughout this whole thing that they would figure this out,” Belk said, adding that he kept his “head down because I knew I was innocent but they wouldn’t know I was innocent.”

Read the full story at Los Angeles Times ↗

The IndependentAug 27, 2014

Beverly Hills Police Department ‘regrets’ wrongly arresting producer Charles Belk

Kashmira Gander

“It’s one of those things that you hear about, but never think it would happen to you.”

Stopping short of an apology, the department said that Charles Belk “matched the clothing and physical characteristics” of a suspected bank robber.

He described how he was handcuffed by police, and told to sit on a curb in the Los Angeles heat, as rush hour traffic passed by.

Read the full story at The Independent ↗

MPR NewsAug 27, 2014

When an African American ‘fits the description’

Bob Collins

“Doesn’t matter if he’s a “Taye Diggs BLACK”, a “LL Cool J BLACK”, or “a Drake BLACK.”

Mr. Belk’s story got attention after he posted it on Facebook.

“Within seconds, I was detained and told to sit on the curb of the very busy street, during rush hour traffic.” — from his post

Read the full story at MPR News ↗

TheWrapAug 27, 2014

Black TV Producer Wrongly Detained in Beverly Hills Says ‘Ferguson Resonated in My Mind’

Anita Bennett

“I did not want to give them any reason to question my interest in cooperating.”

“An officer on a motorcycle pulled up next to me and asked me to come over to him,” Belk explained. “He asked to see my identification and asked me to sit on the curb.”

Read the full story at TheWrap ↗

NBC4 Los AngelesAug 26, 2014

LA Producer Describes Ordeal of Mistaken ID Arrest in Beverly Hills

Gadi Schwartz reporting

“I put my head down. I’m like, ‘I’m not gonna cry in front of these people.’”

“I had no idea why I was locked up,” Belk said in an interview with NBC4. “I had no idea what I was being charged for.”

Read the full story at NBC4 Los Angeles ↗

HuffPostAug 26, 2014

Black TV Producer, Charles Belk, Arrested By Beverly Hills Cops Who Thought He Robbed A Bank

“Within minutes, I was surrounded by 6 police cars, handcuffed very tightly, fully searched for weapons, and placed back on the curb.”

Belk penned a post on Facebook describing the “life altering experience,” saying his only crime was fitting the description of a “tall, bald head, black male.”

Read the full story at HuffPost ↗

NBC4 Los AngelesNov 7, 2014

“Blessing in Disguise:” Wrongfully Detained TV Producer Teams With Police in New Video

Ted Chen reporting

“I won’t ever get those six hours back but I want to honestly say it’s a blessing in disguise.”

Belk and Beverly Hills Police Chief Dave Snowden released a five-minute video, in which the chief said the investigation “identified areas that could and should have been handled differently.”

He also launched a social media campaign called “Autoerase.”

Read the full story at NBC4 Los Angeles ↗

Every story, broadcast and interview: In the News →

SAME NIGHT · TWO RECORDS

Arrested? Or “detained”?

Drag the handle. On the left, the county record that went online: a felony charge and $100,000 bail. On the right, the certificate he was handed on the way out: “a detention only, not an arrest.” This gap is why #AutoErase exists.

County inmate information record: felony charge level, $100,000 bail

Detention certificate: a detention only, not an arrest

ARREST RECORDDETENTION CERTIFICATE

The records

The arrest record that would have followed him, and what the department said afterward. Click any page to read it in full or download the PDF.

County inmate information record for Charles Belk, August 22, 2014: felony charge level, $100,000 bail, released 11:35 pm — **The arrest record** · Aug. 22, 2014 · Felony charge level, $100,000 bail. Download PDF

Police department press release of August 28, 2014 announcing an internal review — **The department’s statement** · Aug. 28, 2014 · “We should have done a better job once Mr. Belk was taken into custody.” Download PDF

Police department internal review summary memorandum dated November 4, 2014 — **The internal review** · Nov. 4, 2014 · “An innocent man was subjected to the criminal justice process.” 4 pages. Download PDF

Los Angeles County District Attorney news release of August 26, 2014: the actual robber is charged — **The real robber is charged** · Aug. 26, 2014 · L.A. County District Attorney: the “Purse Packing Bandit” is charged with nine robberies. Download PDF

The department’s certificate stating the August 22, 2014 incident was a detention only, not an arrest — **The detention certificate** · The department’s own record: “a detention only, not an arrest.” From Charles’s Facebook post, 2014.

His shoes on the living room floor with his wallet, cards and keys stuffed inside — **After release** · This is how the station handed back his things: wallet, cards and keys stuffed in his shoes. They sat like that on his living room floor for a week.

What the internal review found

No officer checked his alibi, “a basic investigatory practice.”
Officers had the bank video but stopped watching before the male suspect appeared.
He was not given a phone call “as required by law and the Department’s policies.”
His time in custody “could have been substantially shortened” had the video been viewed earlier.

From one petition to state law

On September 7, 2014, Charles started a Change.org petition to the U.S. Attorney General and every state attorney general: erase wrongful-arrest records automatically, at no cost. It passed 1,000 signatures in 10 days and became the #AutoErase model legislation. He has worked with lawmakers across the country, and seven states have passed laws from his #AutoErase work.

Read the petition on Change.org (2,111 supporters) ↗

7states passed laws from his #AutoErase work

TAP A GOLD STATESeven states, one ideaTap a state on the map or in the list to see its law.

1North Carolina · 2015
2Illinois · 2015
3Colorado · 2016
4Rhode Island · 2016
5Kansas · 2017
6Missouri · 2017
7South Carolina · 2026

He has worked with lawmakers across the country. In 27 states, arrest records are now cleared with nothing to file when charges are dropped or never filed, the case ends in not guilty, or the arrest was a case of mistaken identity.

Charles Belk smiling behind the framed, signed North Carolina S.B. 233 with the signing pen — **North Carolina, S.B. 233 · Aug. 6, 2015** · First state to sign. The framed, signed bill and the governor’s signing pen. Photo: Johnny Elizalde.

The Colorado signing pen with a handwritten note from Rep. Jovan Melton — **Colorado, HB16-1265 · 2016** · Third state to sign. The signing pen arrived with a note from Rep. Jovan Melton: “You made a difference in Colorado!”

Charles Belk in the Rhode Island Governor’s office, 2016 — **Rhode Island, H 7094 · July 12, 2016** · Fourth state to sign. Charles in the Governor’s office.

Rhode Island H 7094 signing ceremony with the governor seated and Charles Belk standing behind her — Rhode Island H 7094 signing, July 12, 2016. Photo: Office of the Governor of Rhode Island.

FOR STUDENTS AND GROUPS

On the curb: what would you do?

Four moments from August 22, 2014. Choose, then see what Charles did and why.

1 of 4

An officer on a motorcycle pulls up and tells you to sit on the curb. You have done nothing wrong. What do you do?

2 of 4

Minutes later you are handcuffed. No one will tell you why. What now?

3 of 4

A lieutenant arrives and explains: they are looking for a bald man in a green shirt and tan pants. You fit.

4 of 4

You are released at midnight with no charges, then find an arrest record online. What do you do?

“My main goal was to survive to see another day. Then I was going to deal with it.”

Charles, speaking to Hillside High School students, 2016. Want this as a live session for your school or group? Book Charles

What came next

Sept. 2014Change.org petition launched (Sept. 7) · Testimony at the NAACP California-Hawaii hearing · Panel at the Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislative Conference, “Policing Practices and Minorities” (Sept. 26, aired on C-SPAN)

Nov. 2014Internal review released; new police protocols and a joint training video made with the department

2015Speaks at police roll calls in the department that detained him (“the next time you see me on the streets, I’m a friend of the department”) · Saddleback College · National Black MBA Association Leaders of Tomorrow, Orlando (Sept. 25) · Rhode Island House resolution H 5448 · North Carolina signs S.B. 233 (Aug. 6), then Illinois · NAACP National Convention, Philadelphia: spoke to approximately 10,000 · National Hispanic and Black caucuses of state legislators adopt #AutoErase resolutions (Nov.–Dec.)

2016Durham proclaims “Charles Belk and Justified AutoErasure Day” · Ford Freedom Unsung Award finalist · Colorado and Rhode Island sign

2017City councils in Omaha, Dayton and Youngstown pass resolutions backing state bills

2026South Carolina’s law, an 11-year effort, becomes law

2014–2017 in 2 minutes 44 seconds · Built from Charles’s own Facebook photos and clips: the curb, Capitol Hill, roll calls, the first signing and the road tour. Watch the 60-second cut

Every interview

Watch and listen on the Media page →

Aug. 2014Los Angeles Times (four stories: the arrest, the apology, the internal investigation) · ABC7 · NBC4 LA · The Independent · HuffPost · TheWrap · MPR News · AP

Aug. 28, 2014CNN New Day, live with Michaela Pereira

2014MSNBC, The Reid Report with Joy Reid · Al Jazeera America with Ali Velshi, “Walking While Black” · Al Jazeera America, Consider This (Dec. 2)

Sept. 2014D.O.M. Magazine, his first-person piece “When You ‘Fit the Description’” · TheWrap, “Arrest Record Probably Won’t Go Away” (Sept. 2) · Chicago Defender (Sept. 23) · C-SPAN, CBC-ALC panel (Sept. 26)

Nov. 7, 2014NBC Los Angeles; Westside Today: new police protocols and a joint training video

2015FOX 46 Charlotte, Good Day · AP and High Country Press on the North Carolina signing (Aug. 6–7) · USC Viterbi Magazine (Fall) · Boss Mann Magazine cover (Oct./Nov.) · Fullerton Observer (Oct.)

2016Indiana University Alumni Magazine (Spring) · Washington Informer / NNPA and Los Angeles Sentinel (Mar.) · AP, “Wrongful arrest records to be destroyed under new law” (Aug. 2)

2023WRAL, “From wrongfully arrested to advocate” (Sept. 28)

2024SABC and eNCA (TV) · CapeTalk, Power FM 98.7, Bush Radio, Talk Radio Europe and about 10 South African community stations

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“When You Fit the Description”: turning a moment of injustice into purpose and change.

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