Denial of service to Black journalist was a case of 'mistaken identity,' says Caffe Nero

""The reason this is an issue for me is because I don't want it to happen to anyone else," said Phillip Martin, a retired investigative reporter."

""I was aghast," Martin recalled. "I said, 'I'm completely confused. Are you mistaking me for someone else?' And she said, 'No, it's you. We have you on video tape.'""

""It's something I would do instinctively to try to even out the playing field," explained Martin, an award-winning reporter who retired earlier this year. "When someone calls the police, it's best to also have some role in that.""

""I was intent on not being pushed out of the store based on someone's faulty misidentification," he explained."

Phillip Martin, a retired investigative reporter, was refused service at a Caffè Nero in Central Square after an employee said she had been instructed not to serve him. The employee reportedly believed Martin matched a customer captured on video who had caused problems at the shop. Martin and staff separately called 911 and Cambridge police determined the event was a misunderstanding and allowed Martin to reenter. Martin described the interaction as humiliating but returned to finish his conversation. Caffè Nero apologized and attributed the error to a case of mistaken identity due to similar appearance.

Read at Boston.com