Virginia man threatens to kill members of black church, shouts racial slurs

Reuters / Mike Segar

Reuters / Mike Segar

​A Virginia man was taken to a mental hospital after he approached a predominantly African-American church on Thursday, shouting racial slurs and threatening to kill congregants. It follows Wednesday’s shooting of nine people at a church in Charleston.

A video posted by local
news outlet WRIC shows the white man outside United Nations
Church International in Richmond, rapping on a window and
shouting racial slurs.

“All I know is he had a weapon in his hand, banging on the
glass, and calling us n*****s,”
the church’s senior pastor,
Bishop Oren Pullings, told the station.

READ MORE: Charleston church shooting suspect
confesses to killing 9 – report

Church member Lydia Jones said the man was shouting “You’re
taking over!”
at those inside.

The incident began around 8:45 p.m., when children inside the
church first spotted the man.

Although the man was originally feared to be armed, Richmond
Police Capt. Chris Gleason told the Richmond Times Dispatch that
the man was beating on the door with a piece of plastic.

Those inside were able to quickly barricade themselves in the
church until police arrived.

An officer arrived and drew her gun, but the man refused to drop
the piece of plastic until seven police cars had arrived.

READ MORE: Charleston shooting suspect
made racist statements, ‘planned’ attack for 6
months

However, police consulted with the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s
Office and determined that the man had not actually violated the
law. He was taken under an emergency commitment order to Tucker
Pavilion at Chippenham Hospital for a 72-hour observation.

“I never thought I’d see the day when police have to be at
church,”
Gleason told congregants after the incident had
ended.

The Thursday incident came just one day after the fatal shooting at an African-American church in
South Carolina, which left nine people dead. The suspect,
21-year-old Dylann Storm Roof, was arrested in Shelby, North
Carolina, on Thursday morning. The shooting is being investigated
as a hate crime.

Source Article from http://rt.com/usa/268375-virginia-black-church-attack/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS

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