A disturbing video surfaced this week and it has caused the public to call for justice. The police were called to a New Jersey mall after a White woman named Abigail Elphick had a public meltdown and began chasing a Black woman, Ijeoma Ukenta, around a Victoria’s Secret store before physically assaulting her. According to reports, Ukenta was shopping when Elphick walked or moved in front of her, pushing her out of the way in the process, so Ukenta began filming their interaction, capturing what has been called a full-blown “Karen” moment.
Once Elphick realized she was being recorded, things only intensified. Ukenta shared multiple videos about the altercation, first showing Elphick on the ground under the store’s counter shaking as she realized she was being recorded. Then, she is seen screaming and crying, telling employees to stop Ukenta from filming her.
It only escalates from there, because while the two women were at a sizable distance from one another, Ukenta doesn’t approach Elphick. The “Karen” repeatedly yells for Ukenta to get away, even though she’s nowhere near her. Ukenta is heard saying she’s not getting close to Elphick, and in turn, Elphick lunges at Ukenta before chasing her around the store while repeatedly screaming for Ukenta to get away.
When the police arrived things didn’t get any better; officers reportedly seemed to side with Elphick. Ukenta shared the police report in a later video where it reads that Elphick admitted to being aware of her bad behavior, but she didn’t want to suffer the fallout of being recorded. She reportedly told police that she had a “panic attack” once she realized Ukenta was filming her. It’s said that officers refused to look at Ukenta’s recordings.
“Mind you, they took her statement first because, of course, she called the police,” said Ukenta. “And she completely lied. She’s trying to say I started videotaping her causing her to have a panic attack, at which time, she followed me to try to get me to stop recording.”
“So, I’m filing the complaint against the two officers that responded,” Ukenta continued. “I didn’t feel protected. I’m also filing a complaint against the mall security.”
After the viral videos we heavily scrutinized, along with Victoria’s Secret employees who didn’t seem to know what to do in the situation, the company issued a statement about the incident.
“Associate and Customer safety is our top priority, and we are committed to creating a safe and welcoming environment for all,” they wrote. “The video taken in our store is unsettling and we have initiated a full investigation. Our associates followed our protocols and immediately called our Emergency Operations Center as well as mall security for support during the altercation between our customers.”
“We are dedicated to continuing this critical conversation and demonstrating our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion through our actions and our words.” Ukenta launched a GoFundMe to help with legal costs in the cases she reportedly plans on making against Elphick and the responding officers. Check out videos of the “Karen” moment below.
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