DELAWARE COUNTY, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — A white firefighter is in hot water after he allegedly threatened a Black woman in front of police officers, after an incident on the road. It has gained the attention of state Sen. Anthony Williams, who says he wants the man to be held accountable in court as well as in his professional life.
John Romano, co-owner of J & P Fencing, a contractor in Delaware County, is also a volunteer firefighter in Sharon Hill. He is accused of ethnic intimidation, harassment and directing racist slurs at a woman who tried to pass one of his company’s vehicles in November when it was blocking traffic.
That’s according to officials who say he also took pictures of her license plate and threatened to find out where she lived and have her car towed.
“What he proceeded to do was call the person all sorts of racial epithets, including ‘n—--.’ He proceeded to talk about the disdain he has for African Americans and not wanting to deal with Black people,” said Williams.
“I was told that there are three or four boroughs that canceled his contracts,” Williams said.
According to the criminal complaint, an officer from Darby Township Police Department responded to the woman’s 911 call on Nov. 21 outside the location of J & P Fencing on Hook Road in Folcroft. She said she was second in a line of about nine cars that were blocked by a forklift Romano was operating.
She told the officer, when someone started honking their horn, Romano shouted back in anger and let one car by, but when she pulled over to try passing the forklift, he blocked her. She said he got out of the forklift and approached her window, shouting insults and harassing her. She said he took a picture of her license plate and threatened her, saying he didn’t care if she called the police because “he was protected.”
According to the complaint, Romano admitted to the officer that he called her several racial epithets. He also told the officer that she threatened to kill him.
“The alleged behavior here of John Romano is disgusting. We are thankful we are going to be able to hopefully hold him criminally liable for that which is the highest sanction under our law,” said District Attorney Jack Stollstiemer.
“I think we might enhance the grading of some of the charges.”
Pending Romano’s hearing, scheduled for February, he has been suspended as a firefighter, according to Sharon Hill Council President Tanya Allen.
“We removed John Romano’s access to all of our vehicles, our property, our equipment, so that he can no longer perform as a firefighter,” she said.
After the hearing, they would have to move again to expel Romano, if necessary.
Romano faces charges of terroristic threats, ethnic intimidation and harassment. Officials say police have video of the incident, which has not been publicly released.
KYW Newsradio called J & P Fencing seeking comment. The company says Romano is no longer affiliated with them.