MOUNT LAUREL, N.J. (KYW Newsradio) — The Mount Laurel Police Department did not listen to repeated complaints of racial harassment at an apartment complex before the subject of those complaints was eventually arrested for bias intimidation, the New Jersey Office of Attorney General announced on Wednesday.
Attorney General Matthew Platkin said Essex Place residents made dozens of calls to Mount Laurel police about Edward Cagney Matthews and his repeated race-based harassment. Matthews was eventually arrested in July 2021 after a video of one of his profane, racist confrontations went viral and sparked protests.
In December 2023, Matthews was sentenced to eight years in prison after pleading guilty to bias intimidation.
However, Platkin said Division on Civil Rights investigators found 40 reports from Essex Place residents on Matthews prior to July 2021, including allegations that Matthews didn’t just harass them with words, but also smashed car and home windows and slashed tires. Some residents of color even moved out of the neighborhood.
No officers indicated that they had interviewed Matthews during that time, despite being aware of his conduct, Platkin’s office said. Some said they did not want to anger or incite him.
The Division on Civil Rights said police did not thoroughly investigate to the standard of protocol, and some officers didn’t believe race was a factor in Matthews’ conduct.
The Attorney General’s Office said by not stepping in, police allowed Matthews’ actions to escalate, and it can be reasonably suspected that the Mount Laurel Police Department denied critical services based on race.
The police department can avoid prosecution by agreeing to a resolution. If one is not reached, a deputy attorney general will prosecute.