A man in Gwinnett County, Georgia, was arrested for keying a car with a knife that he believed was parked in a handicapped spot illegally, threatening the lives of the children inside the vehicle during the incident.
The 61-year-old perpetrator, James Michael Fay, took matters into his own hands on Sept. 23 when he surveyed a vehicle that he believed lacked the necessary documentation to park in the designated area, as reported by WSB-TV. Taking it upon himself to deliver his form of justice, Fay took a knife and ran around the car, scratching it from top to bottom.
However, the vehicle owner, Syreeta Mack, had her children inside the car, which was parked at a nearby Walmart. The car’s dashcam and Mack’s 16-year-old daughter recorded the crime, with her 2-year-old sister also present.
After the teenager sent her mother the footage of the live incident, Mack confronted the man in the store and called law enforcement. She asked why he felt the need to put a knife to her car, to which he explained that there was no tag according to his sight.
However, Mack proclaimed that a tag was indeed on her vehicle. Nevertheless, police arrived to arrest Fay and charged him with a misdemeanor of criminal trespass damage.
After Fay bonded himself out of jail, WSB-TV’s Gwinnett County Bureau Chief went to speak with him about what led to his actions.
Fay maintains that he never saw the handicapped tag, but when asked if that gave him the right to proceed as he did, he claimed to be justified in his action.
“If she was parked illegally, then yes,” responded Fay to the question, implying that leaving a note would not have been enough.
Mack still believes the violence committed was extreme when he could have easily minded his own business. This instance is part of a recent pattern of white people committing intimidating acts against Black people who are going about their daily lives, with the perpetrators often being referred to as “Karens.”
“People need to mind the business that pays them,” Mack said. “If you feel like someone is doing something illegal, call the police. You don’t have to step in and be a vigilante because you can end up being a perp instead.”
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