On Friday, August 3, NeNe Judge'Mayo was simply trying to park her motorcycle in the Boston neighborhood of Dorchester (where she lives), when she was approached by an irate man who screamed at her, going by what has been gleaned from the news reports, for no discernible reason other than her race.
The man screamed "Do you live here?" at Judge'Mayo, who answered that she did. This response, however, only seemed to inspire more anger in the unnamed man. He began shouting:
I'm not getting shot in my neighborhood! This is my f*cking neighborhood! It's my f*cking neighborhood! You're bringing this f*cking sh*t into my neighborhood? No! No!
Judge'Mayo captured much of the exchange on video:
Before long, a police officer arrived and told the still-screaming man:
I don't care where she lives.
As the officer leads the man away, he continues to scream:
This is my neighborhood! Now you're taking it out on me? You're taking it out on me? F*** that. I'll be back! If your f***in' bike is still there...[unintelligible]
After the cyclists had left the scene, the man reportedly returned and was seen walking up and down the street screaming "f**k that n****r."
The Dorchester Reporter identified the man as 54-year-old Paul Sheehan, who was charged with disorderly conduct before a court on Monday, August 6. Officer Steven McNulty of the BPD's Civil Rights Division says prosecutors still have to decide whether or not to press any hate crime charges against Sheehan. Either way, he has reportedly lost his job in the public sector.
Judge'Mayo wrote on Facebook:
All I did was pull over my motorcycle to park and this man went crazy asking me why am I in his neighborhoodhe was even more mad I was on a motorcycle
I think I had a case of racist profiling #SHARE it maybe one of his co workers will see it! This was at the corner of Adams St and Chelmsford st in Dorchester
Judge'Mayo has received a lot of well wishes from many supporters around the country after the incident.
And she now has reason to feel safe.
Incidents like this are unacceptable. They must stop.
