An Orthodox Rastafarian woman is lamenting that a piece of her was taken away when she was forced to reveal her dreadlocks to police after being falsely accused of stealing $7 worth of groceries, according to a report in the Daily News.
Francilla Daves, 47, was born into the religion originating in the country of Jamaica and took 11 years to grow her dreadlocks. She says her hair touches the small of her back.
“My hair is only for my King,” said Daves, 47, referring to God. “My hair is a sacred thing, it’s my covenant. Orthodox Rasta women do not show their hair in public.”
On January 13, she went to the Key Food supermarket near her home on Baisley Boulevard. in Rochdale Village, Queens, to pick up a few items.
Daves carried the goods in a reusable cloth bag, separating the dairy from the meats. As she handed her payment to the cashier, she was shocked when a security guard accused her of stealing.
The guard called the police and told them that Daves was caught trying to pass the cashier without paying, she said.
“I told him that’s not true and to please run the tape because I don’t steal. I don’t do that kind of stuff,” said Daves, a medical assistant who aspires to treat people in Africa.
Responding officers handcuffed Davies and took her to the 107th Precinct.
“There’s questions and concerns we have with the management and owners of this Key Food,” said the Reverend Kevin McCall, national crisis director for the National Action Network.
“When I went to the precinct, I was told to remove my turban because people sometimes hide things in there. I told them it was against my religion to show my hair and am not allowed to remove my turban,” Daves said.
She was nevertheless forced to unravel her locks.
“I felt very violated, didn’t feel like myself. It was very humiliating, embarrassing,” she said.
“The hair is beauty. It’s a sacred thing like in the Jewish community. Our locks are a part of the covenant with the almighty,” said Jahfire Clark, a friend of Daves and fellow Rastafarian.
After sitting in a holding cell for almost five hours, authorities gave Daves a desk appearance ticket and told her she could leave.
“I asked if I could wrap my hair in a private place and they didn’t let me. They all were watching me wrap my hair,” she said with tears in her eyes.
Daves related the incident to her high priest, who informed her that under the circumstances she didn’t have to cut off her hair. But the priest said because she was violated, she has to fast, read her Bible and avoid interacting with too many people until she feels like herself again.
“A piece of me has been taken away. I was violated and treated like an animal. I don’t trust the police. I don’t feel like they really pardoned me,” said Daves.
