45-yr-old man in US arrested for pushing Black neighbour in racist rant

A white man in New Jersey’s Mount Laurel, which is located 19 miles (30 kilometers) east of Philadelphia, was arrested on Monday evening (local time) after he was seen pushing a Black neighbour with his chest and using racist slurs to address him.

The incident that happened on Friday was capture on camera, and the 45-year-old man, namely Edward C Mathews was arrested after protesters gathered outside his house for many hours, the Associated Press reported.

In the video showing the confrontation, Mathews gave his address many times and before walking away, he said, “Come (expletive) see me.”

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“Now, what I did was not acceptable. It’s completely wrong,” Edward Mathews was seen saying before his arrest in another video filmed by a protester on Monday.

Edward Mathews was initially issued a summons and not arrested, The Mount Laurel police department on Monday in a statement said and added that now he has been charged with harassment and biased intimidation but was initially issued a summons and was not arrested.

Prosecutors on Monday evening said that they are bringing charges against the 45-year-old based on the additional video footage but they did not clarify the charges. The Associated Press reported that an email to the Burlington County prosecutor seeking additional information was not immediately returned.

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Police officers stood at the door of the 45-year-old’s home while protesters gathered outside on Monday. When police moved to arrest him around 7.30 pm on Monday, a video captured by a reporter shows protesters threw objects towards officers and Mathews as they walked to the police car and then at the car as it drove away.

Police are investigating other incidents involving Edward Mathews. It was not immediately clear if Mathews has an attorney to represent him, the Associated Press reported.