An Oregon man was arrested Sunday on suspicion of a targeted bias crime towards a black FedEx driver when he yelled racial slurs and chased the driver with his car, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office said according to Newsweek.
The incident, which occurred around 1 p.m. on Sunday according to Newsweek, started when 68-year-old Aloha, Oregon, native Rodney Bryant reportedly came out of his house and stood in the middle of the street in an attempt to block the driver from leaving, Newsweek reported.
An Oregon man has been arrested for threatening a FedEx driver with a pellet gun and yelling racial slurs at him, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office said. https://t.co/cMWmiyzq0Z
— KENS 5 (@KENS5) December 21, 2020
Bryant began to make threats and racial slurs against the driver before the FedEx employee was able to drive off, prompting Bryant to allegedly get in his car and begin to chase after the driver, according to Newsweek.
When Bryant pulled alongside the driver, the employee claimed he saw a gun, to which Bryant allegedly said he was “not afraid to use it.” (RELATED: New Body Cam Footage Reveals Important Details In Ahmaud Arbery Shooting)
The employee called 911 after he was able to lose Bryant, according to Newsweek. Deputies arrested Bryant shortly thereafter.
When deputies searched Bryant and his car they allegedly found a pellet gun, which the sheriff’s office said looked “indistinguishable from a real gun,” according to Newsweek,
It is unclear as to why Bryant threatened the FedEx driver and chased him with his car, according to Newsweek.
Bryant was arrested and has been charged with a bias crime in the first degree, unlawful use of a weapon, and menacing charges and was held on a $10,000 bond at the county jail, Newsweek reported.