A 53-year-old Ohio man who was filmed earlier this month shouting racial slurs at a Black woman and threatening to shoot her with an AK-47 has been charged.
In one clip, the man—who CBS News reported has been identified as James Rhodes—is seen emerging from a car while shouting at the woman, identified as Kiauna Larkins. Larkins said she was delivering a DoorDash order at the Wyndham Ridge Apartments complex in Stow, Ohio and had “driven her car around Rhodes” when he started verbally attacking her. At the time, per Larkins, her 3-year-old child was in the vehicle with her.
“Get the fuck out of here,” the man is seen yelling in the footage. “I pay $1,000 a month here. You can’t, you make $1,000 in two months. Fuck you. You’re a dumb Black fucking n****r bitch. Fuck you.”
Shortly after, the man references an AK-47 he claimed to own.
“Yeah, and I’m racist, I’m a racist motherfucker,” he’s seen saying. “I got an AK-47 right now in my fucking car. I’ll blow your fucking head off.”
Per court documents viewed by Complex, Rhodes has been charged with aggravated menacing (a first-degree misdemeanor) and ethnic intimidation (a felony). Rhodes pleaded not guilty and was released from custody after posting a $10,000 bond.
On Tuesday, the owner of Wyndham Ridge Apartments—as seen in separate court documents viewed by Complex—filed a complaint for eviction against Rhodes. In the documents, it’s stated that Rhodes broke his lease agreement “by causing the premises to be used for an unlawful purpose.” According to the Wyndham Ridge Apartments owner, the apartment complex has received “persistent phone calls” and calls for a boycott in response to the incident on April 17.
In a statement, John Pribonic—the mayor of Stow—said it “saddens” him to think this incident will define the city.
“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,” Pribonic said. “Let me be clear—there is no place for violence, racism, or intolerance in the City of Stow.”
Complex has reached out to the Stow Police Department for additional comment.
