Edward Cagney Mathews, 45, was served with costs of bias intimidation within the fourth diploma and harassment at Burlington County Jail, the place he is been since his July 5 arrest, in line with the information launch.
This most up-to-date cost in opposition to Mathews was filed after the FBI carried out a handwriting evaluation on the observe left on a neighbor’s automobile in January, the prosecutor’s workplace mentioned. The evaluation revealed Mathews wrote the observe and had smeared feces on the automobile, it mentioned.
CNN has not been in a position to attain Mathews’ legal professional.
An investigation following Mathews’ July arrest by the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Workplace and the Mount Laurel Police Division has resulted in 22 costs in opposition to him since July 2, together with bias intimidation, harassment, legal mischief, possession of a weapon for an illegal goal and stalking, in line with the prosecutor’s workplace.
The costs are pending presentation to a grand jury for potential indictment, the workplace mentioned within the information launch.
An unbiased investigation exhibits 6 years’ price of complaints, some racially charged
The workplace reviewed police reviews from at the very least 40 complaints naming Mathews as a topic from 2016 to 2021, wherein the entire victims of his alleged conduct had been neighbors who’re minorities, in line with the report.
There have been at the very least 28 complaints made by residents of Essex Place, the neighborhood Mathews moved to in 2019, within the 14 months between April 26, 2020, and July 4, 2021, in line with the report. Six of the incidents, wherein Mathews allegedly focused Black neighbors, “had some overt racial element to them and in one in every of them, Mathews self-reported calling his neighbors the n phrase, ‘monkeys,’ and telling them ‘they do not belong on this city,'” says the report.
“No matter grievances he could have genuinely, if misguidedly, held in opposition to the Essex Place HOA (householders’ affiliation) board, he was antagonizing them, not the opposite approach round,” learn the report. “Furthermore, it was solely Black board members that Mathews was concentrating on with verbal and e-mail tirades, and as we now have now alleged, with vandalism of their autos. Certainly, there was a sign that Mathews meant to drive minority members of the HOA not merely from their board positions, however out of their properties.”
However after chatting with victims and responding officers, and reviewing police reviews, the prosecutor’s workplace “discovered no indication of favoritism proven towards Mathews, and that neither particular person MLPD officers, nor the division as a complete, failed to analyze or had been dismissive of the complaints raised by his neighbors,” in line with the information launch.
“Nonetheless, the report notes that MLPD typically seen the complaints raised by Essex Place residents on a case-by-case foundation, somewhat than taking a problem-oriented strategy,” learn a press release from the prosecutor’s workplace. “With a broader perspective on the state of affairs in the neighborhood, MLPD may need been in a position to devise an efficient resolution and introduced reduction to the residents Mathews had victimized earlier than his July 2 arrest.”
“We’re shocked and pissed off,” mentioned Marcus Sibley, president of the South Burlington County NAACP chapter. “Our query is, if all of those neighbors have mentioned that police may’ve accomplished issues higher, and now we now have 22 costs for this particular person, how will you inform me they’ve accomplished every thing proper?”
“That is hate. Our group is coping with hate and our police aren’t defending us from the hate,” mentioned Sibley.
The Mount Laurel Police Division had no touch upon the report and ensuing suggestions, and deferred CNN’s inquiries to the county prosecutor’s workplace.
The viral video that led to a protest and Mathews’ arrest
The video prompted a protest July 5 — the identical day a superior courtroom choose accepted a warrant for Mathews’ arrest by the MLPD. A whole lot of individuals gathered to protest his conduct and remained round Mathews’ residence because the arrest came about, in line with police.
Some people engaged in legal conduct through the protest, in line with police. 4 folks had been charged Tuesday with alleged crimes that embrace damaging property, spitting on the police, and discharging pepperspray on the police and Mathews.
Mathews instructed CNN affiliate WPVI earlier than his arrest that he couldn’t “apologize sufficient” for his actions. He mentioned he was drunk when the incident occurred.
“There’s nothing I am going to have the ability to say that is going to justify me utilizing the phrases that I used. No matter I have to do to make it as much as the group and the world at this level seeing how large it’s perceive that I made a mistake,” Mathews instructed WPVI. “Enable me the flexibility to maneuver ahead similar to all of us deserve.”
