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Seattle Karen labels Black real estate photographer 'creep, pervert', accuses him of using drone to film women

The freelance photographer had a license to fly drones and was working a job

A video of a Seattle 'Karen' has gone viral after she was filmed accusing Thomas Samuel, a Black media freelancer who specializes in drone photography, of using the drone to film other women. The shocking incident unfolded in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle on Tuesday, July 21, with the video opening with Samuel incredulously asking the woman, "You’re going to come out here cussing, saying I’m filming women, really?”

The woman, who identified herself as Katelyn, answers, "Yes!" Samuel then tells her that he was hired by Seattle-based brokerage Redfin to take photographs of the neighborhood with his drone and assures her he has the required approval do to so. "I was hired and working a job, notified the homeowners that I was there, and got approval to fly, not to mention I have my FFA Part 107 license to fly drones," a text overlay on the video read. But Katelyn is not convinced and tells him she has to confirm it by calling Redfin herself. "What’s your name? I’m going to go call Redfin," she tells him. "You are ridiculous. Go home. Go home Karen, please!" he says, using the now-popular term that is being used to describe entitled and demeaning White women caught throwing tantrums on social media. "So, filming people with a drone is 'Karen'?" she asks.

Samuel tells her the only reason she's criticizing him is that he's Black. "Yes, because I’m filming people with my drone, really? That’s really what you think i’m doing? Because I’m Black you think I’m out here filming s***. Filming you," he hits back. "Just had this women come at me accusing me of being a criminal and a pervert/creep with my drone bc I was taking pictures of her neighbors house smh [sic]," he wrote on Facebook. "I was hired and working a job, notified the homeowners that was I was there and got approval to fly, not to mention I have my FFA Part 107 license to fly drones. She came out of her house cussing and imeaditely assumed the worst of me and what I was doing bc there no way a black man could actually be working and minding his own business."

In an interview with the New York Post, Samuel reiterated that he felt the incident was racially-motivated. "She accused me of being a creep and a pervert and of spying on her," he said. "If I was white it wouldn’t have escalated." He also shared that, after initially storming away, she returned with another companion and continued harassing him in front of a co-worker and other neighbors. "Both of them said I needed to notify them before my shoot, which is not true. I know the rules. I was well within my rights," he said.

The video was soon shared on Twitter by an account, 'Fifty Shades of Whey', and several social media users backed Samuel and condemned the 'Karen's behavior. "People are becoming lunatics," one wrote. "It's extremely common in real estate right now to use drones to get property overviews that are cleaner, closer, better resolution than Google Earth which may be charging businesses for the service. Also tax assessors use them. Eye roll to infinity."

"She is so wrong in her approach. He gave her an answer. At that point go call Redfin or ask the neighbor and ask them. Do not continue arguing. Would she have become so hostile if it was a white man? Not sure. That’s a question for her to answer," another commented.