Danièle Watts, the African-American actress who played the role of CoCo in 'Django Unchained' and one of the stars in the show 'Partners', was allegedly arrested on Thursday because the police officials from the Los Angeles Police Department apprehended under the impression that she was a prostitute.

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In the statements released by Watts and her husband Brian James Lucas, two police officers misjudged them for a prostitute and a client after seeing the couple engage in a public display of affection. "I sat on his [Lucas] lap in the front seat of the car and we start making out," Watts said to BuzzFeed. Subsequently, the couple was called out by a man from an office nearby who shouted at them to "stop putting on a show." The police officers arrived moments after that.

The couple was then asked to produce a photo ID to verify their identities and other claims. However, Watts refused to comply as she deemed the demand a violation of her rights. She was then handcuffed by the officers and placed in the backseat of the police cruiser.

"As I was sitting in the back of the police car, I remembered the countless times my father came home frustrated or humiliated by the cops when he had done nothing wrong," Watts posted in her Facebook page. "I felt his shame, his anger, and my own feelings of frustration for existing in a world where I have allowed myself to believe that "authority figures" could control my BEING... my ability to BE!!!!!!!"

In his own Facebook page, Lucas alleged that the police officers targeted them because of being an interracial couple. Moreover, the outraged husband claimed that although the officers did not ask whether Watts was a prostitute outright, their question were loaded with innuendo.

As posted in his account, Lucas said that "from the questions that [police] asked me as D was already on her phone with her dad, I could tell that whoever called on us (including the officers), saw a tatted RAWKer white boy and a hot bootie shorted black girl and thought we were a HO (prostitute) & a TRICK (client)."

On the other hand, the LAPD claimed that the patrol officers from North Hollywood were alerted by a radio call from a concerned citizen who reported that a couple were engaging in "indecent exposure inside a silver Mercedes with the vehicle door open." In their statement, the LAPD explained that Watts and Lucas matched the reported description. This prompted the officers to question them, as well as briefly detain both parties to ascertain their identities and clear the issue. At present, the department is reported to be conducting an internal investigation regarding the matter.

TagsDaniele Watts, Brian James Lucas, Django Unchained, Partners, Los Angeles