Ohio Man In Clip Threatening to Kill Black Woman Now Faces Felony, Eviction

On April 17, cellphone footage of an Ohio man threatening to shoot a black woman with an assault rifle landed online. Now, James Rhodes, the man seen in the video, has been charged with a hate crime and a motion has been filed to evict him from his home.

According to court documents, the 53-year-old resident of Stow, Ohio, has been charged with aggravated menacing (a first-degree misdemeanor) and ethnic intimidation (a felony). Rhodes pleaded not guilty and was released from custody after posting a $10,000 bond.

The clip shows Rhodes exiting his vehicle and approaching Kiauna Larkins. In an interview with CBS News, Larkins said she was delivering a Door Dash order to an apartment complex when the verbal attack began. Larkins’ 3-year-old child was with her at the time.

Larkins said she had driven her car around Rhodes and when she got out, he immediately began yelling.

In the video, Rhodes introduced himself as a racist before threatening to shoot Larkin.

“Yeah, and I’m racist, I’m a racist m——r,” he said in the clip. “I got an AK-47 right now in my f—– car. I’ll blow your f—-g head off.”

On April 27, the owner of Wyndham Ridge Apartments filed a motion to evict James Rhodes. The court documents allege he violated his lease agreement “by causing the premises to be used for an unlawful purpose.” The owner of Wyndham Ridge went on to say that the complex has received threats of a boycott stemming from the incident.

“We are aware of the disturbing incident and subsequent photos and videos on social media. We condemn and will not tolerate any kind of racist or threatening language and overt threats of violence.” Wyndam said in an online statement. “We moved swiftly to address the situation and are actively working with law enforcement officials to resolve the matter,” the statement read. “We are committed to creating a safe, secure and inclusive environment at Wyndham Ridge, and we will continue to take proactive steps to resolve the situation.”

John Pribonic, The Mayor of Stow, said Rhodes’ hateful words and actions served as a poor representation of the city.“The community that I know and love absolutely condemns the behavior displayed on the video and, instead, chooses the principles of kindness, tolerance, and inclusivity to guide our daily actions and beliefs,” Pribonic said.

“Let me be clear—there is no place for violence, racism, or intolerance in the City of Stow.”

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