Black people can't move into their own apartment without someone calling the cops on them.

Former Obama White House staffer Darren Martin moved into his new apartment on New York's Upper West Side when he was approached by six New York police officers responding to a report of a possible break-in Friday, April 27.

He took out his phone and began recording the absurdity on Instagram.

“I’m in my apartment but you know – you can’t go nowhere without the cops following me,” Martin said during the livestreamed video.

Police were reportedly responding to a call from a neighbor claiming Martin was breaking into the apartment; they did not recognize Martin was their new neighbor. Martin told Pix 11 News that Friday was the only day he could move in because of his busy work schedule.

Martin worked for the Obama administration and had been excited about returning to his native New York. He didn't expect such a dramatic welcome.

“Somebody called the cops on me in my own building,” he told viewers. “About how many are y’all? About six of y'all showed up, rolled up on me.”

In the video, viewers can see officers crack a smile as Martin's frustration reached a breaking point. One officer turns the volume up on a two-way radio where a dispatcher could be heard describing the call that led to the police encounter.

"Somebody was trying to break in the door” with "a possible weapon,” the dispatcher said.

That weapon was a key.

Martin said the incident stemmed from overarching issues like gentrification and institutionalized racism.

“As a black man when you’re in an all-white environment, you’re cognizant of that,” he told Pix 11. “I have to say I found it kinda symbolic. [It’s] like welcome to the neighborhood.”

An investigation determined Martin, who signed a one-year lease, had done nothing wrong.

“The broader message to everyone is get to know folks before you make these assumptions,” he said. “When you make that call there’s no turning back and it could've ended very differently.”

White House Staffer called police on

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