Jerri Kelly, a 46-year-old woman in Arkansas, was arrested after an incident involving four black teens in front of her home. According to WREG-TV, the four teens were going door-to-door to raise money for their football team from Wynne High School. Two of the boys were reportedly wearing their football jerseys for the fundraiser, but Kelly confronted them with a gun.
Kelly reportedly made the boys lay on their stomachs with their legs spread and arms behind their backs while she held them at gunpoint.
When police arrived, the boys were let go because police determined there was no wrongdoing. Kelly, however, was arrested a week later on charges of aggravated assault, false imprisonment and endangering a minor.
“As always, the Wynne Police Department is committed to protecting our citizens,” Wynne Police Chief Jackie Clark said in a statement. “Our kids and elderly are our most precious assets and all the necessary steps will be taken to protect them.”
Kelly’s husband, however, is Cross County jail administrator Joe Kelly, and she was quickly bonded out.
One local resident says that this type of fundraiser is common in the neighborhood.
“Usually, it’s right before football season, late summer or early fall the kids were out selling these discount cards. They’re just kids,” the resident told WMC-TV. “You worry about your neighborhood, and you wonder who is this person.”
You should never profile people, folks. It’s 2019. Be better.
This is just the latest case of racism reported on the internet this year. In the past few months we have seen a San Jose gas station clerk berate a customer for speaking in Spanish, a customer in a Mexican restaurant complaining that the manager used Spanish, a New York meteorologist fired for using a racial slur on air, and college students everywhere using their social media accounts to share their racist thoughts.