North Carolina man arrested after threatening to burn down Black church
John Malcolm Bareswill reportedly called a church in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and said, 'You ni**ers need to shut up.'
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Amid an ongoing pandemic, John Malcolm Bareswill called his racism in.
The North Carolina man reportedly called a church in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and said, “You ni**ers need to shut up.” The call was put on speakerphone and overheard by several parishioners, including three children.
Bareswill, 63, was charged with making a telephonic threat to use fire to kill, injure or intimidate any individual or destroy a building.
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He was extradited to Virginia and appeared in court on Friday morning. According to a report in The Mercury News, Bareswill initially denied the accusation. He told investigators that he was asleep, but his cell phone records showed a call to the church on a Sunday morning.
His social media pages also revealed deep anti-Black sentiments.
Last week, “a leader of the church was one of several ministers who took part in a prayer vigil and peaceful demonstration, which included a moment of silence for George Floyd, in the Mount Trashmore area of Virginia Beach,” court documents read. Investigations showed that the man had recently initiated search queries about the event.
“Our office takes seriously any threat to the lives and well-being of our fellow citizens,” G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, said in a statement.
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“Threats meant to silence or intimidate people because of their race or religion, like the one allegedly made here, have our highest priority,” Terwilliger’s statement continued. “No one should be made to fear for their safety or the safety of their church for speaking out, and we will seek justice for victims of those who allegedly violate that right,”
Bareswill was reported to the police department of the city of Virginia Beach, which turned the investigation over to the FBI. He is in federal custody.
If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison.
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