New Jersey Man Who Went On Racist Rant Draws Hundreds Of Protesters At Home

A man spewed racist comments in front of a home in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, then offered his location to a person filming him and challenged them to come to his house.

"Bring whoever," the man police identified as Edward Cagney Mathews, 45, added.

The video went viral as it appeared that Mathews was constantly calling his Black neighbor the n-word and a "monkey."

Protesters began showing up at the address given in the video three days later. Protesters had gathered outside Mathews' door by Monday morning, yelling "We want Edward!" according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. By the evening, the crowd had swelled to more than 100 people.

Mathews appeared momentarily during the protest and tried to apologize after the police arrested him. Still, demonstrators remained enraged. Officials escorted Mathews out of his home with his hands behind his back. He faced accusations for his behavior in the video, including harassment and discriminatory intimidation.

Some protesters threw food and drink bottles at him, while others cheered. The incident occurred after more than a year of countrywide protests in the United States against the treatment of African-Americans and racial relations.

KYW-TV said Robinson and her daughter, Jazmyn, are among numerous residents who claim Mathews harassed them and used racial comments toward them before to Friday's event. Another neighbor, Ashleigh Gibbons, 35, told the Inquirer that Mathews has been harassing her for years.

"I totally understand why the protesters were here today," Burlington County Prosecutor Scott A. Coffina said at a Monday night news conference.

In a statement released early Monday, the Mount Laurel Police Department stated that the incident began at 7:50 p.m. on Friday. They said a homeowner reported that Matthews "continually harassed" a neighbor. Police initiated an inquiry after a video of him went viral on social media, garnering tens of thousands of views by Monday.

At the press conference, Coffina stated that his office is also prosecuting Mathews with assault.

The police department said in a statement that it does not accept "any form" of hatred or bias intimidation.

“This type of behavior is totally unacceptable,” the statement adds. “We can assure our residents that incidents like this are thoroughly investigated and that those who commit such offenses will be held accountable for their actions.”

Similarly, the mayor and council of Mount Laurel Township condemned Mathews' "terrible and deadly actions" and "acts of hate like it." The statement continues, "This is not who we are or what our township stands for."

Mathews appears to be approaching one of his neighbors and repeatedly slapping him in the face in the footage. Mathews is told to leave by an anonymous Black neighbor. On the other hand, Mathews maintains his right to stand in front of the house and refuses to go.

“Learn your laws,” Mathews allegedly told the man. “It’s not Africa.”

“I was born in America,” the man replied.

Minutes thereafter, a police officer arrives and asks Mathews to return to his home. "Cut it out, dude," the police officer screams as Mathews continues to yell racial epithets.

NJ.com said Tia Brown, a protester at Mathews' house, viewed the video and said the police officer's lackadaisical attitude enraged her. She stated, "They had a discussion with him like it was nothing."

Similarly, the Mount Laurel police force was chastised for failing to act on previous allegations about Mathews. According to a police spokesman who did not respond to calls from The Washington Post late Monday, a police spokeswoman told the Inquirer that there had not been enough evidence to bring charges in the past.