WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th November, 2020) A 63-year-old man received a two-year prison sentence for threatening to burn down a predominantly Black church in response to vigil protesting the death of an African-American suspect in police custody, the US Justice Department said in a press release.
"John Malcolm Bareswill, 63, called a Virginia Beach church with a predominantly African American congregation, made racially derogatory remarks, and threatened to set the church on fire. The threatening call was placed on June 7, several days after one of the church's leaders took part in a public prayer vigil and peaceful demonstration for George Floyd," the release said on Thursday.
Bareswill's threat terrified the adult Sunday school teachers who heard it and affected the entire church community, US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Zachary Terwilliger said in the release.
"Answering the exercise of constitutional freedoms with threats of violence - especially threats that tap into a long and shameful history of racially motivated violence against houses of worship - requires swift and certain justice," Terwilliger added.
The May 25 death of George Floyd while in police custody sparked nationwide demonstrations against police brutality. Many of the demonstrations turned into riots complete with violence against police and civilians as well as acts looting and vandalism.
