‘You owe me an apology, you racially profiled me.' New details emerge in allegation against Milton official.

Boston Globe

4 days ago

According to the unredacted report, Talbot told officers that Hall approached her in the Milton High School lobby before a town meeting on June 17. She said Hall grabbed her left elbow and told her she would 'appreciate it if you didn't snap when I was speaking.'
Talbot said she replied, ''What are you talking about? Take your hand off of me,'' but Hall would 'not let go right away,' the report said.
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Hall was apparently referring to someone else she had seen at the meeting the night before, Talbot told police.
'Later that night, Ms. Talbot said she walked up to the stage area in the auditorium and approached Ms. Hall and said, 'you owe me an apology, you racially profiled me,'' the report said.
Hall is white and Talbot is Black.
'Ms. Hall replied, 'I have pictures that someone sent to me of you and two other women in the audience,'' the report said. 'It was reported that Hall then grabbed Ms. Talbot again.'
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Talbot said she again told Hall not to touch her, according to the report.
'Ms. Hall then said, 'I don't even know your name,'' the report said. 'Ms. Talbot then said, 'that's why you should not touch me or put your hands on me.''
When Hall said, 'you were sitting with Beverly (Beverly Ross Denny) and some other black women,' Talbot responded 'you are racially profiling me,' the report said.
When police spoke with Hall, she said she was told that three town meeting members who were sitting together at the meeting the night before had been 'making rude gestures and snapping their fingers' each time she rose to use the microphone.
Hall 'was sent a photo of the three women sitting together but would not tell me who gave her the picture,' the report said. 'She said the picture did not show anyone snapping their fingers.'
Hall also provided her own account of approaching Talbot in the lobby, police said.
Hall indicated that she 'politely asked Ms. Talbot, 'it would be nice if you could be respectful and not snap your fingers when I go to the microphone,'' the report said. 'Ms. Hall then said Ms. Talbot got close to her and in her face and said she was not snapping her fingers and a lot of black people look the same.'
Hall said she later 'put her right hand on [Talbot's] arm and said, 'I apologize if you were not the person snapping your fingers,'' the report said. 'She said she put her hand on her arm. Hall said to me, 'you know how you do this to calm someone down.' She said she did this in a caring gesture.'
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After the meeting concluded, Hall told police, Talbot approached her and 'got in her face again and was angry and confronted her about the snapping of her fingers the night before.'
Hall told police she touched Talbot's arm 'gently again to calm her down because she was upset and Ms. Talbot said, 'don't touch me again, your [sic] touching my arm, that's assault and battery.''
Hall then walked away, according to the report, which said police also pulled video footage at the school.
The footage showed Hall approaching Talbot and 'placing her left hand on Talbot's right arm/elbow area at 7:30 p.m. by the entrance to the auditorium. The two began to talk and the conversation continued into to [sic] auditorium.'
Additional footage captured the later encounter just before 11 p.m., after the meeting ended.
Police said 'you can see Talbot come down to the stage and approach Hall to speak with her. During this conversation you can see Hall place her hand on Talbot again.'
The conversation continued, and then the women separated, according to the report.
'A few moments later you can see Hall and Talbot speak again for a few moments and then go their separate ways,' the report said.
Police said they also pulled footage from the night before, to see if anyone had been snapping their fingers when Hall took the mic.
'During these times on video you can see Talbot and two other women sitting together,' the report said. 'During the video the women are active in their seats but their [sic] is no visible evidence that Talbot or the other women were snapping their fingers during the times Hall was speaking.'
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A week later, Talbot texted police to inform them she would like to pursue charges but then momentarily backtracked, the report said.
Talbot wrote in a follow-up text that rather than press charges, 'she wanted to have a sit-down meeting with Hall and her 'representative,'' and that she wanted Hall to apologize for profiling her.
That same day, police told Hall about Talbot's wishes, and Hall said authorities could pass along her contact information to Talbot, records show. Police later told Talbot they could email Hall her information as well.
But Talbot then said 'she is not comfortable with Hall having her personal information or communicating with her directly,' the report said.
Material from prior Globe stories was used in this report.
Travis Andersen can be reached at