Ohio Man Charged After Verbal Attack on Black Delivery Driver Went Viral

A man from Stow, Ohio, has been charged with aggravated menacing and ethnic intimidation over a verbal attack on a Black woman that was caught on camera.

James Rhodes, 53, was arrested on Tuesday over a verbal attack on Kiauna Larkins, Stow Police confirmed.

In a video of the incident, which has been watched more than 47,000 times on Twitter, a man can be seen shouting at a delivery driver in the parking lot of a Stow apartment complex on April 17.

The clip, shared by CBS News reporter David Begnaud, shows the man climbing out of his car and hurling abuse and expletives at the woman, who is accompanied by a young child.

The man can be heard yelling: "Get the f*** out of here," and calling the woman a "dumb black f****** n***** b****."

He adds: "Yeah, and I'm a racist. And I'm a racist mother f*****. I got an AK-47 right now in my f****** g**d*** car and I'll blow your f****** head off."

The child's voice can also be heard in the background talking to the woman, who has been identified by police as Larkins.

Larkins told CBS News she was delivering a Door Dash order to the Wyndham Ridge Apartments when the man launched a verbal attack on her.

She said: "He was basically proud to say that he was a racist and didn't have any remorse for what he said."

Stow Police told the network that the suspect had attempted to justify his statements, saying he had let his anger get the best of him, but was only "slightly remorseful."

The company that runs the apartment complex posted a message on Instagram after the "disturbing incident." It said: "Photos and videos of the altercation were uploaded to our community Facebook page. At Wyndham Ridge, we do not tolerate or condone any kind of racist, threatening language and overt threats of violence and have since taken down the video.

"We moved swiftly to address the situation and are actively working with law enforcement officials to resolve the matter. On Monday, April 19, Wyndham Ridge served the resident with a notice to leave the premises and he has agreed to move."

The incident was also condemned by the city's mayor John Pribonic, who said in a statement: "As a Stow resident for over 25 years, it saddens me to think that this incident could in any way define our city for those who are otherwise unfamiliar with Stow.

"The community that I know and love absolutely condemns the behavior displayed on the video and, instead, chooses the principles of kindness, tolerance and inclusivity to guide our daily actions and beliefs.

"Let me be clear—there is no place for violence, racism or intolerance in the city of Stow. We take great pride in creating a welcoming atmosphere for all people and actively celebrate our diversity."