A white woman in California is facing hate crime charges after she allegedly hurled racial slurs at a Black Amazon delivery driver and physically tried to block him from leaving her neighborhood.
The confrontation happened April 18 near 1700 Delaware St. in North Berkeley.
Reports said 35-year-old Julie Warland became upset over the way the van was driving through her neighborhood. She and her boyfriend allegedly followed the Amazon truck to “confront” the driver, later identified as 25-year-old Kendall McIntosh.
Warland parked her vehicle beside the delivery van “in a manner to prevent escape,” authorities said in an incident report.
That’s when Warland allegedly jumped out of her car and accused McIntosh of speeding, cursing at the man and calling him the N-word, according to news station KRON4.
“Instantly [she] just started cursing me out like, first sentence I’m getting cursed at,” McIntosh said. “Very derogatory language, you know I was getting constant F-bombs thrown at me. I was getting just racially profiled from the jump.” McIntosh said the woman said to him, “Who the f--k do you think you are?” and “Who do you think you are driving down my street like this?”
After several minutes, McIntosh said he began to fear for his safety and attempted to drive away “but was unable to because Warland grabbed his steering wheel and hands,” forcing him out of the truck, police said.
“Instantly [she] just started cursing me out like, first sentence I'm getting cursed at. Very derogatory language, you know I was getting constant F-bombs thrown at me. I was getting just racially profiled from the jump."
During the skirmish, Warland called 911 and told authorities the driver was “trying to escape.” The boyfriend then stood behind the delivery truck as neighbors began to emerge from their homes to film the ruckus, police said.
Eventually McIntosh managed to get back into his van and drive away.
When police arrived, they placed Warland under arrest.
She faces four misdemeanor charges including two counts of battery and disturbing the peace by offensive language, along with the hate crime charge, according to court papers filed June 16 by the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office.
She is scheduled for arraignment July 1.
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