PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A former assistant fire chief in Delaware County has been found guilty of ethnic intimidation.
The incident happened on Nov. 21, 2024, when John Romano, 48, was loading trees onto a truck with a forklift and blocking Hook Road in Sharon Hill, Delaware County.
Then, as a Black woman tried to drive around Romano, he accused her of honking, then said several racial slurs and other insults to her. The woman called 911 and reported him.
When police interviewed him, Romano first admitted to calling the woman the n-word, and told the officer he believes “they are all animals,” and he’s “tired of dealing with them.” He eventually retracted his statement, despite his insistence on the n-word being appropriate. His amended statement still included a racist comparison to a wild animal.
The woman told police she was one of many drivers trying to get around him. But when she tried, she said he took a picture of her license plate and said he’d find her home. He also spouted a string of insults and said he had police protection and the ability to get her car towed.
A Delaware County judge found Romano guilty of ethnic intimidation and related charges in a bench trial. He’s scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 28.
