Video of racist New Jersey rant: Edward Cagney Mathews taken into custody

[ad_1]

MOUNT LAUREL, New Jersey (WPVI) – The man at the center of a community protest in Mount Laurel, New Jersey – sparked by his racist rant against a neighbor who was filmed – will likely remain in custody for the next few days.

Edward Mathews, 45, appeared in court on Tuesday for his first appearance, but will remain behind bars at least until his detention hearing later this week.

In a now-viral video, Mathews is heard calling the neighbors racial slurs.

In an interview with Action News shortly before his arrest on Monday, Mathews said he regretted his comments and went to great lengths to explain his actions.

“I can’t apologize enough. I was drunk, I was irrelevant, I let my anger get the better of me,” said Mathews.

Mathews has been charged with six viral video-related offenses as well as a separate incident with another neighbor. In it, he is accused of having been filmed using insults and of having made an “obscene gesture while laughing”.

In total, Mathews has been charged with three hate crimes, two charges of harassment and one charge of trespassing.

Returning to her home, which had been vandalized by protesters, a woman who identified herself as Mathew’s ex-wife accused the media of exaggerating matters, but made no further comment.

The protesters have now conveyed some of their frustrations to the Mount Laurel Police Department.

A small group gathered outside the agency, angered by the response from the first officer who met Mathews in the first video.

“I think if we had never shown up, that wouldn’t have happened. I think Edward would still be sitting comfortably in his home today if the community hadn’t actually shown up and taken action. “said Shante Smith of Black Lives Matter New Jersey.

Protesters demand an outside investigation by the police department as well as anti-oppression training.

RELATED: NJ Man’s Viral Racist Rant Leads to Calls for Federal Hate Crimes Investigation

VIDEO SHOT

The Ring Camera video shows the moments before the viral video. It shows Mathews knocking on the door of his neighbors – an interracial senior couple – demanding that the husband come out and talk to him.

“I have every right to be here. Get your husband,” we hear Mathews say.

The situation worsened when another neighbor intervened on behalf of the couple. Most of the viral Facebook videos, recorded on Friday, are too graphic to read.

“It’s not Africa, or (inaudible) or anywhere (expletive) where you were,” Mathews is heard saying.

The other man in the video replied, “I was born in America, and I don’t give (swear) about you.”

During his interview with Action News, Mathews asked for forgiveness.

“There is nothing I can say that will justify me using the words I have used,” he said. “Whatever I need to do to catch up with the community – and the world at this point, seeing how big it is – understand I made a mistake, let me move on , as we all deserve, ”said Mathieu.

The dispute, according to neighbors, stems from months of problems with the HOA development board.

Before the viral video ended, Mathews gave out his address, apparently encouraging the protesters, who arrived in force on Monday.

A warrant dated Monday and other prosecution documents show at least two neighbors called police to report Mathews on Friday.

A black woman from the neighborhood called police on Friday, saying Mathews was harassing her, approaching her front door and shouting racial slurs, prosecutors said. She had previously told police she suspected Mathews of “criminal mischief” involving his car.

Doorbell camera captures Mathews bringing his dogs into his front yard, repeating a racial insult and squeezing his hips in vulgar fashion after police respond and speak to him, prosecutors said.

Police then received a second call from a nearby address and discovered that Mathews was using racial slurs to address four people, which appears to be the videotaped interaction that has gained widespread attention online.

This confrontation occurred after Mathews knocked on the door of a neighbor demanding to see her husband, who is black, and attempted to enter her home, prosecutors said. The woman, who is white, called the police and another neighbor came up to find Mathews in the driveway.

CHARGES FOR CERTAIN POSSIBLE DEMONSTRATORS

Action News was there as Mathews was taken from his home by police on Monday evening.

Bottles of water and ice were thrown at Mathews and the police as he was taken outside. They had to pass through a large crowd of protesters outside Mathews’ home to get to a waiting police vehicle.

“It was a difficult situation to extract it,” said Mt. Laurel Police Chief Steve Riedner. “Unfortunately, some in the crowd made it more dangerous for everyone.”

Police say 10 to 15 officers were hit with pepper spray while arresting Mathews. Police are investigating whether protesters who threw objects at officers and Mathews while arresting him committed crimes, Burlington County District Attorney Scott Coffina said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

Copyright 2021 WPVI-TV. All rights reserved.

[ad_2]