It's possible they lied when they said they were looking for a black man to put him on the defensive and give them a reason to search him.

Reading the article, I really don't feel like this was a big deal. The police officers were driving around looking for a drug dealer; maybe he matched the description, maybe they just thought it was odd that a man was walking around outside a theater talking on the phone (maybe they thought he was waiting for someone to show up to sell to, and the theater was the meeting point?). The police officers told him they were looking for a drug dealer, the guy pointed out that he was an actor in the show, and the officers left.

I've been stopped by police before when illegal activity was happening in the area, and I'm white as snow. My brother was thrown on the hood of a police car because a robbery had happened right near where he was and they thought he was the robber; my brother is obviously also very, very white. Sometimes the police just grab the wrong suspect; it happens.

I think there is absolutely racial profiling that occurs by our police, and I think it's a shame and something that needs to be stopped. But reading this article, this really seems like they're making a story out of nothing. Another title to this could be:

"Police officers ask man outside of theater if he's a drug dealer, he tells them no, they leave."

But that title is way less sensationalist.