New York State Police have accused a white man from Binghamton, New York, of threatening to hang a Black state senator from a tree.
James A. Crosby, 48, was arrested on June 23 and is now facing felony charges of making a terroristic threat as a hate crime, according to New York State Police. He is being held in the Broome County jail without bail.
Lea Webb, who represents New York’s 52nd District, spoke at a Juneteenth flag-raising ceremony at Binghamton City Hall, where the celebration included prayers and the singing of the Black national anthem.
In her speech, Webb emphasized that progress toward freedom and justice doesn’t happen in isolation and stressed the importance of community and shared commitment.
Apparently, these concepts enraged Crosby, a Binghamton resident. According to New York State Police, he allegedly jumped into the comments section of local station WBNG 12’s Facebook post about the ceremony and posted a vile message to the senator: “I’d be proud to hang you from a tree.”
New York State Police quickly launched an investigation. They discovered that Crosby possessed a rifle, a large-capacity magazine, and a suppressor, all banned by state law. Crosby was also barred from owning firearms due to a prior felony conviction.
As a result, police charged him with four additional counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, class D felonies.
Senator Webb issued a statement on June 25, calling the threats against her “extremely disappointing and hurtful,” especially since they came in response to a story about Juneteenth.
She wrote, “Feedback and thoughts on policy are one thing, but to make a public call for lethal violence is absolutely unacceptable and dangerous. We must recognize our shared humanity and reject violence in all forms.” The senator also thanked New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, law enforcement, and others for their “swift response” to the alleged threat.
She ended her statement with yet another plea for unity. “It is critical that we work together to eradicate racism and bigotry,” she wrote, “whether it’s words or actions.”
