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John Henson tells of racist experience at Milwaukee jewelry store

Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

The people at Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers in Milwaukee must not be big basketball fans. Or fans of general human decency, if a story told by Milwaukee Bucks center John Henson on Monday is accurate.

Henson posted the following story on Instagram, telling of a racially prejudiced experience he had there when attempting to shop for a watch:

Went to @schwankekasten jewelry today in White-Fish Bay during regular business hours . They locked the door and told me to go away . After I rang the doorbell twice everyone went to the back. No answered the door or told me what was going on. This was followed by two police cars pulling up and parking across the street and watching me for 5 minutes ( I assumed they were called by the store ) . I was then approached by 2 officers and questioned about the dealer vehicle I was in which is apart of my endorsement deal with Kunes country Chevrolet and asked me what I wanted amongst other things that were just irrelevant to me being there just trying to shop at the store like a normal paying customer would do . I told them I was just trying to look at a watch. He then had to go in the back and tell them to come out it was safe but this is after they ran my plates and I overheard them talking about doing more of a background check on the car. The employees finally came out of the back and proceeded to conduct business like they previously were as we walked up . This was one of the the most degrading and racially prejudice things I've ever experienced in life and wouldn't wish this on anyone . This store needs to be called out and that's what I'm doing . You have no right to profile someone because of their race and nationality and this incident needs to be brought to light and I urge anyone who ever is thinking of shopping here reads this and doesn't bring any business to this discriminatory place .

A photo posted by @johnhenson31 on

Henson signed a reported four-year, $44-million extension with the Bucks earlier this month. The jeweler is located just over a mile away from the BMO Harris Bradley Center, the Bucks' home arena.

The store's owner, Thomas Dixon, told WISN 12 the incident was a misunderstanding based on Henson's vehicle. Dixon claimed the store has been robbed three times in 18 months, with one of the suspects using a car from the same dealership that Henson's is from.

That explanation doesn't quite hold water with a statement from The Whitefish Bay Police Department. While they report having been called about suspicious activity at the store recently, and for incidents of theft in the past, they also indicate the store's employee wasn't satisfied by the police confirming Henson as a Buck, instead asking officers to stay on the scene while Henson shopped.

The statement is copied in part below, courtesy of Deadspin:

On Monday, 10/19/15 at 1:20 pm, Whitefish Bay officers were dispatched to Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers as the Red Tahoe had returned. Officers met up in front of 5500 N. Berkeley which is around the corner from Schwanke-Kasten.. (sic) They observed two men in front of the store. The officer ran the license plate and it came back to a Ford dealership and came back as “No Vehicle Attached” and was not listed as stolen.

The two Whitefish Bay officers approached the two men in front of Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers and asked what was going on. A man, later identified as John Henson, informed the officer that he was there to buy his first Rolex, but every time he tries the door, it’s locked and they don’t let him in. One of the officers asks him about the dealer plates on the Tahoe. He advises the officer that he plays for the Milwaukee Bucks and that Bucks players get vehicles from this dealership. Neither officer asked Mr. Henson or his companion for driver licenses or any other identification.

The officer called dispatch to request that a Schwanke-Kasten employee come to the front door. The employee told the dispatcher to have the officer come to the back door. After my officer informed the Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers employee that it was a Milwaukee Buck, the employee came to the front door and let them in. The employee requested that an officer stand by as they looked at the Rolexes, our officers refused and left the store. The officers then left the area.

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