The Sheriff of Shenandoah County in Virginia has apologised to a black pastor who was arrested while defending himself against a racist attack.
Leon K. McCray Sr. got into an altercation after a man and a woman had tried to dump a used refrigerator outside his apartment. When the pastor approached the two individuals an altercation broke out. The couple left but returned soon afterwards with three friends who racially abused the pastor and threatened to kill him.
When Mr. McCray then displayed a gun that he was legally carrying as he feared for his life and phoned the police. However, when the police arrived it was Mr. McCray, who is a senior citizen, that they arrested.
The 61 year old said:
"I felt, literally, like I had been lynched without being killed ... [the incident was] indeed the most humiliating, dehumanizing, damning and violating event of my life … I’m a pastor, a decorated 24-year Air Force master sergeant veteran, no criminal record."
He went on to say that one of the group ran at him furiously in an attempt to physically attack him, and that they were only stopped due to him producing the weapon. He was then handcuffed in front of the mob and led away while all the others were left to go free.
Now, following an outcry, the pastor has had all charges against him dropped and the white assailants are all facing charges relating to the threats they made. The two arresting officers have also been suspended pending an investigation into their conduct.
Shenandoah County Sheriff Timothy Carter, while apologising to the pastor, revealed the reasoning behind dropping the charges:
"After talking with him about the incident, it was apparent to me that the charge of brandishing was certainly not appropriate … Actually, as I told Mr. McCray, if I were faced with similar circumstances, I would have probably done the same thing."
He went on to tell The Washington Post:
"I want the people of Shenandoah County to know that I and the sheriff’s office staff appreciate and care about the minority communities, and especially our black community."
The incident comes amid rising social tensions in the United States and protests against police brutality, with many saying that the story of the pastor is typical of the experience many African Americans have when interacting with law enforcement.
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