Bob Marley's Granddaughter To Sue Over Police Encounter

RIALTO, CA -- A granddaughter of the legendary singer Bob Marley plans to file a lawsuit against a California police department after officers arrived at the Airbnb she was renting, thinking a burglary was in progress.

The incident happened April 30 when Rialto police officers received a call that a residential burglary was in progress in the 2600 Block of West Loma Vista Dr. because several people were taking suitcases from the home.

Arriving officers stopped the vehicle containing the occupants, including Marley's granddaughter Donisha Prendergast, when they realized they were actually Airbnb renters, police said in a press release.

"Through reasonable inquiry officers learned the residence was an unlicensed Airbnb in the city of Rialto," the press release said. At no time during the encounter did officers use any form of restraints with the involved people and actually allowed them to exit their vehicle and assist officers in locating the owner of the unlicensed Airbnb to confirm there had been no crime committed."

About a week later, the police department was notified of pending legal action by Prendergast and the two other people who accompanied her.

Prendergast took to Instagram to share her frustration over the encounter, writing "Got surrounded by the police for being black in a white neighbourhood."

"I’m sad and irritated to see that fear is still the first place police officers go in their pursuit to serve and protect, to the point that protocol supersedes their ability to have discernment," Prendergast wrote.

--Photo via Shutterstock