A North Carolina man is charged with harassing Black civil rights attorney Bakari Sellers by sending him racist and threatening messages online.
As reported by The Post and Courier, Grant Edward Olson Jr., of Asheville, North Carolina reportedly sent about 65 threatening messages to Sellers on social media. Olson was arrested and booked in the Richland County jail on April 8. He’s been charged with stalking and assault or intimidation due to political opinions or the exercise of civil rights, according to arrest warrant affidavits in the case.
The 48-year-old sent racial slurs and threats to Sellers and his family via Instagram. Sellers, a CNN pundit, released a statement Monday thanking the State Law Enforcement Division for arresting Olson.
“This isn’t just about me. I have a wife, a teenage bonus daughter, and twin 3-year-olds and I take any threat against them very seriously,” Sellers said in a statement, News Channel 12 reports.
“They shouldn’t be subject to threats and intimidation like this. No one should. This isn’t a political debate. This isn’t the ‘new normal.’ It’s a crime, pure and simple,” said Sellers, who ran for lieutenant governor for South Carolina in 2014.
“I want to thank SLED Chief Mark Keel, Behavioral Science Director Mike Prodan and all the officers at SLED for their quick and decisive action in protecting me and my family,” he said. “They have not only demonstrated the highest standards of commitment and professionalism, but they proved once again how critical it is that we support and fund this important work.”
News Channel 12 reports Olson sent vile messages to Sellers between Feb. 25 and March 24. In one message, Olson said he was armed. In others, he referenced the killings of Black Americans.
Olson intended to intimidate Sellers because of his political opinions and work as a civil rights attorney.
He faces up to five years in prison if convicted.
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