black lives matter

‘I Don't Help Your Kind': Man Says He Was Denied Service at Mass. Subway for Being Black

Kevin Wheeler says the incident happened Friday in Mendon

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UPDATE (July 16, 2020, 7:05 p.m.): The man who posted the Facebook video has changed his story and a local activist group said it has "cut all ties" with him. Read more.

A man says he was denied service at a Subway restaurant in Massachusetts because he's Black.

Kevin Wheeler posted a video to his Facebook just minutes after the incident happened Friday in Mendon, saying he was disgusted by what happened.

"She said, ‘I don’t help your kind,'” Wheeler said of the woman who allegedly refused to serve him because of his skin color. "I am utterly disgusted right now.”

Wheeler says he was waiting in line for a sandwich when a white employee working at the chain refused to serve him because of his skin color. He says the employee helped the customer behind him, then took a phone order and continued to ignore him.

"It was very tough for me to take in," he said. "My kind? I’m just a human, and it was very tough for me to take in.”

NBC10 Boston has reached out to Mendon police and Subway for comment.

Wheeler joined a handful of others outside the now-closed Subway on Saturday for a Black Lives Matter protest.

Things became heated when a man and woman showed up to the protest, questioning Wheeler's story.

Wheeler says the message he wants to get across is that this kind of thing must end.

"It’s not just happening elsewhere. It’s happening here in the small town of Mendon," he said. "People want change. If we stop because it’s not trendy then we’re not doing anything to make the change.”

It's unclear if the Subway was closed Saturday because of this incident or some other reason.

In a second video posted to Wheeler's Facebook page on Saturday, he says he has spoken with the owner of the Subway store multiple times, including at an in-person meeting on Saturday.

"He is taking care of this, I don’t want anybody to think that he is not, I don’t want anything to think that he is sweeping it underneath the rug. He is taking care of it. He assured me that this is not who he is. And I have a strong belief that he isn’t," Wheeler said in the video.

"What I don’t want people to do is that I don’t want people to threaten or call him. Guys, this isn’t the way, this isn’t the way to do it. You know we need to let him take care of his employee and let him take care of what’s going on. You know, let’s keep this peaceful guys," he added in the video. 

Wheeler says the owner will put out a statement.

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