MOUNT LAUREL, N.J. (KYW Newsradio) — A Mount Laurel man was arrested Monday night on charges of harassment and bias intimidation, stemming from a racist rant caught on video, which went viral on social media.
Edward Cagney Mathews, 45, is being held at the Burlington County Jail in Mount Holly, pending a detention hearing, which the Prosecutor's Office says is likely to happen on Friday.
Police took Mathews into custody after a crowd numbering about 150 people had gathered in protest outside his home.
Police say Mathews was initially released before Monday, and word got out about the racist and offensive language that he has been accused of using against one of his Black neighbors.
Burlington County prosecutor Scott Coffina says the person on the receiving end of Mathews' rant showed great restraint.
"How many of us could show the restraint that this gentleman did? And he didn’t deserve that. None of the residents in this development deserves that. Nobody should ever feel unsafe or intimidated," Coffina said.
(WARNING: Graphic language in the video below)
Mount Laurel police officers in riot gear came to help clear the area after Mathews was escorted away.
A pair of police officers at first guarded the man's house Monday afternoon, as the protesters appeared on Mathews' front lawn, carrying Black Lives Matter signs and flags.
The protesters were initially peaceful during the mid-afternoon demonstration. However, some pepper sprayed and threw bottles as he was arrested and escorted away by police. Authorities shut down roads in the area as the protest grew.
"The protesters had every right to be upset about that, because this is despicable conduct. We won’t tolerate it. We brought additional charges based on additional evidence. And we will prosecute this man to the fullest of the law," Coffina said.
Coffina says they are also investigating to find out who was throwing things and that those people will also be held accountable for their actions.
"Cagney's a coward. I’ve lived here for four or five years now. He’s a bully, He's typical. What do you expect?" said one neighbor.
"It’s sad. It’s disgusting. It has to stop. These are our kids out here. It’s disgusting. It just has to stop," said another neighbor.
Pastor Dexter Polnitz says he wants Mathews to know racism is not welcome.
"You come out here and you feel like you can do anything?" Polnitz said. "You make terroristic threats, and you feel like we’re not going to do nothing? You’re not going to touch that man. You’re not going to touch that man’s family. That’s why we’re out here."
Related
Demonstrator Aliya Robinson said Mathews has been trying to intimidate Black residents for years.
“He’s targeting the Black association members now," Robinson said. "He wants us, I guess, to go back to Africa, go back to 'our country?' You’re targeting the higher-ups because we can’t have leadership positions? This is crazy," Robinson said.
Robinson said Mathews vandalized her daughter’s car years ago, but he was never held accountable.
Neighbors say they have complained for years about Mathews’ racism. They say it was always one person's word against another's, and there was not enough evidence to take any action, so nothing was done, leaving Mathews free to continue poisoning the community with his comments.
"Racism has to be rooted out, and when you see it, call it out," she said.
"I don't care what color it is. As Americans, we should not tolerate this. Not for a moment. Not for three and a half years, that’s for sure.”
Related
The Mount Laurel Police Department said it does not tolerate hate or bias intimidation in any form. They call this type of behavior "totally unacceptable" and said racist incidents would be thoroughly investigated.
In a statement from the Prosecutor's Office, Coffina said investigators are looking for evidence of prior racist behavior.
"We are all in this together, and we urge anyone with information or evidence of prior incidents involving this defendant to come forward and present it to Mount Laurel Police Department or our Office."
Information can be submitted to the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office at tips@co.burlington.nj.us, to the Mount Laurel Police Department at tips@mountlaurelpd.org, or by calling the police department’s confidential tip line at 856-234-1414, extension 1599.