UPDATED 7/8, 11:50 a.m. ET: New Jersey man Edward C. Mathews, who was filmed hurling racist abuse at his neighbor, is now being investigated by prosecutors over other alleged incidents.
Per TMZ, the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office has launched an investigation against Mathews, who was escorted out of his home by police when protesters showed up after the video circulated online. There’s reportedly a number of other incidents regarding Mathews, with most allegations pointing to him having a history of making racist remarks.
In one recorded 2016 incident, Mathews confronted Jazmyn Jene, a Black woman, and appeared to threaten her while claiming he was very good friends with the local police force. She accused him of using the n-word, which he doesn’t really deny and then proceeds to use multiple times.
Jene decided to share the video and her story after she saw the new incident.
“I was a young single mom and my son is very hyper,” she wrote. “We were living in the condo above [Mathews] and he hated hearing my son. He made threats, filed false complaints, tried to pin people against me constantly. … Basically this man got away with everything he has done and Mount Laurel lets him do what he wants. … Mount Laurel needs to be sued.”
See original story below.
A white man in New Jersey has been arrested after he was caught on video shoving a neighbor and using a racial slur, CBS News reports. The arrest came after hundreds of people to showed up to his Mount Laurel home to protest his initial release.
In the video, Edward C. Mathews shares his address and can be heard “shouting offensive and racial slurs,” including saying the phrase “this is not Africa,” to his neighbor. He was charged with harassment and biased intimidation but was issued a summons and allowed to return home, sparking the protests.
On Monday evening, prosecutors brought new charges against Mathews, which they say was based on additional footage.
When he was escorted out of his home by police, protestors threw things at both Mathews and the officers who led him to the squad car.
HAPPENING NOW: Protestors have gathered outside the home a Mt. Laurel NJ man captured on video shouting offensive and racist slurs at his neighbors.
The man identified by police as Edward Mathews faces harassment and biased intimidation charges.@6abc pic.twitter.com/brReZEHWfi
— George Solis (@GeorgeSolis) July 5, 2021
Mathews allegedly has a long history of racism, as neighbors claim at least 10 others have dealt with harassment over their skin color.
“He used a BB gun to shoot their windows out, he smeared dog feces all over their car,” one neighbor told CBS News.
Despite pleas from many community members some younger people have been throwing objects at suspects house. With Matthews removed from the home crowd has moved back. pic.twitter.com/VYJcgMVrt7
— Alexandria Hoff (@AlexandriaHoff) July 5, 2021
“I totally understand why the protestors were here today. They had seen videos that weren’t available to us on Friday night that were even worse,” Burlington County prosecutor Scott Coffina said.
