A video of a New Jersey man saying the N-word to a black neighbor and making racist remarks is being widely circulated on social media.
The video, shared on the r/PublicFreakout sub-reddit on Sunday, showed Edward Cagney Matthews, 45, of Mt. Laurel, New Jersey, yelling at a Black man standing outside his own house. In the clip, Matthews calls the man a "monkey" and the N-word.
'Learn Your Law. It's Not Africa'
At one point, the man pushes Matthews back as he gets into his face. Matthews then threatens to press charges against the man before asserting that his actions are permissible because he is on public property. "This isn't your property, you dumb n*gger," Matthews can be heard saying in the video. "Learn your law. It's not Africa."
"I was born in America, sir," the man replies. Matthews then accuses the man of assaulting him and says the "last one" who got involved with him had his windows shot out with a shotgun and "their daughter got smashed."
'Come F*cking See Me'
Matthews then reveals his address, looks into the camera and says "come f*cking see me." "Get me on video," he adds. "Bring whoever." The video ends with a police officer arriving on the scene. Watch the full video below:
The video instantly went viral and sparked outrage on social media, prompting hundreds of protesters to show up at Matthews given address. According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, as many as 150 people showed up.
Matthews Arrested, Charged with Bias Intimidation and Harassment
"We want Edward!" the protesters chanted, as they threw bottles through the windows of Matthews home. Police ultimately took him into custody on Monday, July 5, after escorting him out of his house into the police vehicle as the surrounding crowd cheered on and pelted him with objects.
Matthews has been charged with bias intimidation and harassment charges. "The Mount Laurel Police Department does not tolerate hate or bias intimidation in any form. This type of behavior is totally unacceptable," a police spokesperson wrote. "We can assure our residents that incidents like this are thoroughly investigated and that those who commit such offenses will be held accountable for their actions."
Matthews Has Been Harassing Residents for Years
According to neighbors, Matthews has been harassing the resident for years. According to Facebook posts from a former neighbor of Mathews, it's not the first time he has harassed his Mount Laurel neighbors. In a video posted by a former neighbor, Mathews is seen telling her he sells drugs and that because the police are his "people," she won't "get any help from the cops."
