The police department of Kenner, Louisiana, is investigating an officer who responded to a situation at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, where a Puerto Rican man was denied the rental car he had already paid for, reported The Times-Picayune on Friday.
Humberto Marchland "told CBS News he'd already paid for a rental car when he landed at the airport on May 9. When he presented his Puerto Rican driver's license at the Hertz counter, he said, he was asked for a valid passport. He said the employee insinuated he was a foreigner and told him he may not rent a vehicle without showing his passport," reported Kasey Bubnash. "Puerto Rico is an unincorporated U.S. territory and Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens." The employee continued to insist that "out-of-state" drivers must show a passport, as Marchland recorded her on his phone.
Body camera footage showed the argument unfold, as Marchland appealed to the officer, "saying he's a U.S. citizen and a former federal law enforcement officer and has already paid for the car." Ultimately, the officer ordered him off the premises, saying, “We are not going to sit here tonight and do this sh*t anymore," and “Do not come back up here and cause any more disturbances.”
Marchland had previously told authorities the officer also threatened to call immigration on him — even though he is a U.S. citizen — although there is no recording of this on the body camera.
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According to the report, police say they have launched an investigation into the unnamed officer. Hertz, meanwhile, has issued an apology to Marchland, vowing to "educate" its employees — although this is not the first controversy for the rental car giant.
Last year, Hertz agreed to pay out a $168 million settlement to customers after investigations revealed the company filed hundreds of false reports those customers had "stolen" their cars, leading to them facing fines and even arrests and jail time.
