Five People Charged With Hate Crimes for Assaulting a Black Pastor, Leon McCray

June 16, 2020359 views0

Five People Charged With Hate Crimes for Assaulting a Black Pastor, Leon McCray

2020-06-16T15:10:20+01:00

By Bede Ehiogu

….as Virginia sheriff apologizes to Leon McCray

Officials from the sheriff’s office in Shenandoah County, VA have arrested five people in connection with assault against a black pastor, Leon McCray

The pastor of Lighthouse Church and Marketplace Ministries International, Leon McCray observed two people on his property on the 1st of June. They were dragging an old refrigerator to a garbage pail on his apartment complex.

He asked them to leave, accusing them of trespassing but they got quite annoyed and irate.

In spite of their anger, the two departed but later came back together with three others. The pastor claimed the group then assaulted him. One of the men began to give him a head-butt while another yanked off his shirt as they circled him from behind.

Pastor McCray said: “They were all up on me at the same time, threatening to kill me and used all types of racial slurs. It got to the point where this is getting really, really bad.“I couldn’t leave , I couldn’t do anything with the threats, I felt to save my life, i had to draw my gun!!!”

Unjust Arrest

As at the time of police arrival, only one of them talked with pastor McCray. He didn’t ask for his side of the story but rather seized his gun. The officer then arrested him for brandishing a gun, WHSV-TV reports

Pastor McCray reaffirmed the story to Northern Virginia Daily: “How humiliating, how dehumanizing … to look at this mob of individuals cheering on the sidelines, waving as I was carted off to go to jail.”

Nevertheless, Timothy Carter, Shenandoah’s County sheriff met with the Pastor and concluded that the charge against him “was certainly not appropriate.”

Sheriff Carter further said in the course of a recorded press conference: ” I told Mr McCray if i were faced with similar circumstances, I would have probably done the same thing.”

“I want the people of Shenandoah County to know I and the sheriff’s office staff appreciate and care about the minority communities, and especially our Black community, in Shenandoah County,” Carter added.

“Also, I continue to support and recognize the importance of your Constitutional rights, especially your 2nd Amendment right to protect yourself and your family.”

Sheriff Carter Arrest Announcements https://t.co/GrMYuiTk9L
— SCSO (@ShenCoSheriffVA) June 12, 2020

Consequently, the sheriff requested Pastor McCray to speak with his personnel and air his opinion on racial equality

Carter said: “Mr McCray did agree to do that at some future point. We did make that agreement because of all that’s going on in the nation, I think talking and listening is critical”

Future transformation – black life does matter

Pastor McCray remarks that he looks forward to seeing the transformation within the sheriff’s office. He is of the belief that Carter is planning to take action with regards to that. In conclusion, McRae said: “My black life didn’t matter. But I’m here to tell you, as a Kingdom son, my black life does matter,”

The five people involved in the incident have been charged with hate crimes and assault by a mob. As the investigation continues, the sheriff’s office holds them without Bond.

Subsequently they will appear in court next month.