A Virginia man has been charged after he pointed an assault rifle at a group of Black men who’d simply parked near his home.
According to reports, Sunday evening the group of men were riding their motorcycles when they decided to take a break and pull into a nearby neighborhood, Whelan Ridge Estates.
READ MORE: Virginia Arthur Ashe statue vandalized with ‘White Lives Matter’
However, they say within minutes of making the stop, a white man came out and pointed his semi-automatic rifle at them, accusing them of trespassing.
The man, who was later identified as Dennis Lee Berry, allegedly cocked and seemingly loaded his AR-15 as he approached the squad making threats.
READ MORE: Virginia man who drove truck into protesters is a KKK leader
A portion of the confrontation was captured, which shows the group, four of whom are Black, attempting to talk Berry down and inquiring as to why he seemed so primed to shoot then. The men also pointed out they actually didn’t appear to be on his property.
In the clip, Berry can be heard saying “I’m gonna take you out first,” to which one of the riders responds, “I used to live down the street, so why are you pointing a gun at us.”
READ MORE: Virginia city removes 176-year-old slave auction block
Fortunately, law enforcement showed up to deescalate the situation before Berry was able to make good on his promise. He was ultimately arrested for brandishing a firearm.
He was later released on bond and his rifle was seized as evidence.
Have you subscribed to theGrio’s new podcast “Dear Culture”? Download our newest episodes now!
https://open.spotify.com/episode/0RCfxfB5wJmOf0n18l2pEk
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7EqV56xsXcxMaCQhYDdQhc