In Arizona, a Black couple found themselves in a terrifying situation when a white man brandished a firearm during a business meeting. The couple, Mia Johnson and David Carter, run a food truck business and rent kitchen space from the man, who had recently issued them a notice to vacate. The couple sought a meeting to discuss his decision, but tensions escalated quickly.
Mia, who attended the meeting alone initially, was met with hostility. “I couldn’t understand why he was so angry,” she recounted. The owner, Mark Smith, confronted her aggressively, wearing an “All Lives Matter” shirt and accusing her of racism while making threats about their business.
When David arrived to support his wife, Mark’s demeanor shifted dramatically. “That’s when he took a deep breath and drew his pistol,” David explained. In a tense moment, David acted quickly to disarm Mark, fearing for their lives. “I braced myself, thinking, ‘Oh my God, we are going to get shot,’” Mia shared.
The couple was terrified and hesitant to call the police due to fears that David, a Black man, could be perceived as the aggressor in the situation. “I thought they might kill my husband if I called the police,” Mia confessed, recalling the tragic history of police violence against Black individuals. Eventually, she did call 911, but the apprehension remained palpable throughout the ordeal.
When law enforcement arrived, both David and Mark were ordered to comply, leading to Mark being tased. Despite the serious nature of the incident, the couple learned from a prosecutor that Mark might not face significant consequences, with charges potentially being reduced to a single count of assault. “They keep telling me that it’s not a hate crime,” David lamented.
The couple has since set up a GoFundMe to raise funds for a new, safer business location, emphasizing their experience as one of racial terror. “We are victims of a hate crime, and we need our community’s support,” they stated on their campaign page. They have raised over $161K towards their goal of $250K, as they seek to turn their harrowing experience into a catalyst for growth.
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Summary
A Black couple in Arizona faced a life-threatening encounter when a white man pulled a gun on them during a business meeting. Fears of racial bias led the wife to hesitate in calling the police. The aftermath of the incident raises concerns about potential leniency for the aggressor, as the couple seeks community support through a GoFundMe campaign to secure a safer business environment.
Keyphrase: Black couple gun threat
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