Mount Laurel racist rant leads to new accusations against Edward Cagney Mathews, protesters

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A 45-year-old man in Mount Laurel accused in July of one-sided intimidation of his black neighbors has been charged with other offenses related to the alleged ongoing harassment, and four people who showed up at protests outside his home have been charged with ‘allegedly attacking police and causing property damage, Burlington County District Attorney Scott Coffina said Tuesday.

Coffina also said that an independent review of how Mount Laurel Police handled previous complaints against Edward Cagney Mathews found no favoritism towards Mathews, and that no officer or the Mount Laurel Police Department in as a whole have failed to investigate or dismiss complaints from neighbors in the Essex Place condo community.

The chairman of the South Burlington County NAACP chapter criticized the findings of the review and said its members’ reaction to the report was shocking that the police turned out to have no guilt in the way they have responded to Mathews over the years.

It is anger. His disappointment. It hurts. It’s another slap in the face, said Marcus Sibley, the chapter president.

The case gained national attention when video of Mathews engaging in a racist July 2 rant against his neighbors went viral on social media and led to a protest outside his residence on the Gramercy Way three days later, the same day he was arrested.

In the latest development, Mathews is accused of leaving a threatening note on the car of one of his victims earlier this year, and also of vandalizing the victim’s vehicle. Mathews, who has been in custody at Burlington County Jail since his arrest on July 5, has been charged with intimidation and harassment.

He now faces 22 separate charges, including criminal mischief, criminal harassment, possession of a weapon (slingshot) for an illegal purpose and related offenses.

A court-appointed lawyer representing Mathews could not be reached for comment.

In the viral video, Mathews, a trade unionist, was seen mocking a black neighbor and using racial slurs. He gave his address and urged people to come see me. Dozens of people showed up at his home days later for a protest that lasted for hours.

Mathews was eventually arrested in handcuffs. The crowd bombarded him and the police with objects.

Coffina said on Tuesday that four people in the crowd had been charged by summons. They have not been taken into custody and are awaiting the schedule for their first court appearance.

Tawanda M. Jones, 48, of Camden, allegedly dumped pepper spray on police officers. Daniel A. Harris, 25, of Beverly, allegedly threw a brick-shaped object through a window in Mathews’ house right after his arrest. Christopher D. Staples, 21, of Pemberton, has been charged with throwing stones at police officers as they accompanied Mathews to a police vehicle. Khalil Wilson, 18, of Mount Laurel, has been accused of spitting at police officers as he stood on top of a vehicle as they escorted Mathews from his home.

The outrage over Mathews’ conduct on the viral video does not authorize anyone to commit unprovoked assaults on police or acts of vandalism, Coffina said in a statement.

Sibley, the chairman of the NAACP section, said he did not tolerate any acts of violence or property damage, but said the overwhelming presence and police response upset the crowd.

Every thing that happened was preventable, Silbey said.

The 25-page independent review of police departments dealing with complaints against Mathews covered approximately 42 incidents from 2016 to 2021 and also included occurrences of Mathews calling the police.

While the review did not find any favoritism towards Mathews, a more holistic approach by Mount Laurel Police to the problems Mathews was causing at Essex Place would have made the racist theme behind Mathews’ harassment more evident and could have brought some alternative solutions to the police.

We sympathize with the residents of Essex Place who fell victim to Mathews’ conduct, Coffina said. No one should have to face racial harassment anywhere, but especially not in their own neighborhood and even in their own home.

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