Colts' Darius Leonard Says He Was Racially Profiled, Kicked out of Chipotle

Indianapolis Colts linebacker Darius Leonard said in a video released on Instagram that he and four others were racially profiled at a Chipotle in Florence, South Carolina.

Leonard said he went to the Chipotle with three Black men and a mixed-race woman. The former South Carolina State star said his group was set apart from the rest of the restaurant.

Everything was going fine until near the end of their meal when the Chipotle manager approached their table.

Leonard said the manager arrived with a "terrible attitude" and asked them if they had a problem. The manager then said a white male customer claimed the group was verbally harassing him before Leonard said the manager "basically kicked" the five-person group out of the restaurant. The manager also threatened to call the police.

"We’re talking about Black Lives Matter and for the guy to look at us and lie and laugh in our face as we walk out and the manager...just come up here and just basically kick us out of Chipotle?!" Leonard said (according to TMZ Sports).

"And, we felt like he was very disrespectful and that’s the white privilege that we are talking about."

Leonard also added the following: "We are tired of this. I'm telling you what I go through as a Black man in America. Ya'll don't understand what I go through.

"Ya'll see the police killing us. Ya'll seeing all the injustices that we go through. I live it. Day in and day out. And, I'm f--king tired of it. Yes, I'm upset. I'm tired of it."

On Friday, Chipotle CEO Brian Niccol released a statement, per Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk: 

“We are currently investigating the incident involving Darius Leonard in Florence, South Carolina,” Niccol said, “We have a zero tolerance policy for discrimination of any kind and we have suspended our manager while we conduct a thorough investigation. I’ve personally reached out to Darius and I’m committed to ensuring the appropriate action is taken once the investigation concludes.”

Leonard, who won the league's Defensive Rookie of the Year Award in 2018 before making the NFL's All-Pro team in 2019, has 284 career tackles and seven interceptions in 28 career games with Indianapolis, who took him in the second round of the 2018 NFL draft.

The 24-year-old has actively participated and spoken out as part of the ongoing worldwide social justice movement, notably joining a protest in Florence.