BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) - The Lockport man who pulled a gun out on a black woman and allegedly called her a racial slur last year was found guilty Friday of menacing, but not of hate crime charges.
Jeffrey Calhoun faces up to a year in prison after he pulled a gun out on Jeanneie Muhammad last July on Sanders Road and Colvin Avenue in the City of Buffalo.
READ MORE: LOCKPORT MAN CHARGED AFTER VIRAL VIDEO
The incident all started when Muhammad rear-ended Calhoun's car on July 16. The Erie County District Attorney's Office said that Calhoun approached Muhammad then walked back to his pickup truck. She then exited her vehicle and walked away from the scene. Calhoun followed her, then tried to keep her at the scene by holding onto her purse.
The video of the confrontation begins with Calhoun tugging at Muhammad's purse. Bystanders across the street called police and told Calhoun he could not do that. Eventually, Calhoun pulled the gun out and pointed it to multiple people before placing it back in his holster. Police later arrived and the video ended once Muhammad started talking to officers.
Muhammad claimed in a news conference that she was called a racial slur and supporters of hers asked Erie County District Attorney John Flynn to place hate crime charges against Calhoun. Flynn did, but attorneys were unable to prove that happened because of "he said, she said" testimony in court.
"I believe her story and I believe what she was telling me," Flynn said. "What she was telling me was corroborated by his actions and that's why I did what I did. I would do it again."
The hate crime charge would have been levvied on top of the menacing charge and could have extended the maximum prison sentence to three years.
