A Columbus, Ohio man isn’t asking for an apology after he says a state contractor repeatedly hurled racial slurs at him during a confrontation outside of his home on Tuesday. The entire incident was caught on camera.
Charles Lovett said the drama was sparked by a disagreement over who had the right of way on a local road, local station ABC 6 reported. Lovett said the man got upset with him because he thought Lovett cut him off in traffic. That’s when he said the contractor nearly sideswiped him as he crossed from the lane going to Sinclair Road into the lane for Morse Road.
Lovett said he honked his horn in frustration but kept driving. That didn’t stop the man, who was driving a Uriah’s Heating Cooling Refrigeration work vehicle at the time, from following him to his north Columbus home.
Video of the incident shows Lovett exit his car and approach the man, who’d parked at the top of his driveway.
“I just want to let you know what a n—-r you are,” the man says repeatedly after Lovett asks how can he help him. “You’re a rude n—-r.”
“So, I’m a n—-r because you can’t read street signs right?” the Columbus man replies.
The two go back and forth about whether Lovett cut him off. The man then accuses Lovett of feeling entitled.
“How do I feel entitled?” Lovett shoots back. “You feel entitled because I’m Black.”
Their three-minute confrontation ends with the employee condemning Lovett for his “rudeness” and reveling in how good it felt to tell him to his face.
” … I’m glad I got all this information, that I’ll be sending to the state, since you’re a state contractor,” Lovett replies, pointing at the truck bearing Uriahs’ logo. The van also shows a “State Contracting License” text beside the company’s plate number, ABC 6 reported.
In a phone interview with the station, the unidentified man insisted he is not a racist and said he simply “lost his head.” He said he’s received threats since the video of his tirade went viral. When asked why he repeatedly used a racial slur against Lovett, the man hung up, according to the station.
In a separate interview with WMCH Channel 4, the contractor was unapologetic about the incident and said he had no regrets about using the n-word.
“I don’t know if it makes it right or wrong all I can say is I grew up with it and not a big deal for me,” he said.
Lovett said he would never have expected something like this to happen to him.
” … But it’s the world we live in nowadays,” he told the station.
Lovett said he filed a police report following the incident. So far, no charges have been filed.
Watch more in the video below.
So this is happened to me this morning. A man followed me from the interstate exit to my house, and then proceeded to berate me with the most disrespectful word to any African American. I wasn’t going to post it, because I felt that I should’ve known and did better in handling the situation, by just walking away and going into my house. But I’m human. Nobody, African American Mexican Puerto Rican deserves what’s been happening to us across the United States here lately. This incident is just one of many sadly. 😔 #IamBetterThanThis #UriahsHeatingAndCooling (if you’re in Columbus, OH; you can watch it and my interview tonight on NBC4 & ABC6 & FOX28 tonight)
Posted by Charles Lovett on Tuesday, July 24, 2018