A racist Ohio man has been arrested after being captured on video threatening a Black woman working for Door Dash.
James Rhodes was charged with aggravated menacing and ethnic intimidation after he told the motorist he had an AK-47 in his car and that he’d “blow [her] f***ing head off.”
The disturbing incident happened on April 17 at an apartment complex in Stow, Ohio. According to Mediate, Rhodes was reportedly taking his sweet time at a stop sign, so the Door Dash driver drove around his car. That’s when he became triggered, jumped out of his vehicle, and launched a racist, expletive-laden rant against the woman, whose two-year-old daughter was in the car with her.
Read More: Ma’Khia Bryant’s death puts spotlight on frequency of police shootings in Columbus, Ohio
“Hey, get the f*** out of here,” Rhodes yells at the victim. “Get the f*** out of here. I pay a thousand dollars a month here. You make a thousand dollars in two months. F*** you.”
“How do you know that?” asks the driver.
Rhodes replies, “You’re a dumb Black f***ing n***** bitch. F*** you!”
Watch the moment via the clip below.
When the woman, who filmed the encounter and shared it online, asks for his name, Rhodes fires back by making clear that he is “a racist motherf*****,” adding, “I got an AK-47 right now in my f***ing goddamn car. I’ll blow your f***ing head off. I’m f***ing tired of you n*****s. I’m tired of you n*****s.”
The woman, who never loses her cool during the incident, laughs at the raging maniac before driving away. The video shows she was able to capture his license plate number, which may be how Stow police tracked him down.
According to CBS News correspondent David Begnaud, Rhodes allegedly told police that he let his anger get the best of him and that he doesn’t own any weapons. Begnaud also noted in a tweet that there are two additional videos of Rhodes verbally assaulting the victim, and neighbors coming to the woman’s defense by urging him to chill on the racist language. When a woman is heard asking someone off-camera to call the police, Rhodes asks, “What are they, gonna come arrest me?”
He was later arrested on Tuesday. Rhodes reportedly pleaded not guilty to the charges. He was released after posting a $10,000 bond.
The mother of the victim said her daughter “is a single mommy and she does all she can to care for her son….and this makes me proud….how well she handled this situation.”
She also thanked the Stow Police and Wyndham Apartments (where Rhodes has reportedly been evicted) for taking action against the potentially violent man.
Read More: Virtual classes exposing teacher’s racist remarks and bias, experts say
“I am thankful for the way this was handled,” she said. “It’s sad that in 2021 this is even happening BUT the amount of support my daughter has received is overwhelming and so wonderful.”
“As a Stow resident for over 25 years, it saddens me to think that this incident could in any way define our City for those who are otherwise unfamiliar with Stow,” Mayor John Pribonic said in a written statement, Fox 8 reports.
“The community that I know and love absolutely condemns the behavior displayed on the video and, instead, chooses the principles of kindness, tolerance and inclusivity to guide our daily actions and beliefs. Let me be clear – there is no place for violence, racism or intolerance in the City of Stow. We take great pride in creating a welcoming atmosphere for all people and actively celebrate our diversity.”
Have you subscribed to theGrio’s podcast “Dear Culture”? Download our newest episodes now!
TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire, and Roku. Download theGrio today!