Black Teens Chased Down By Two White Connecticut Men In Car

Matthew Lemelin, 27, and his brother Michael, 28, chased down three Black teens riding their bicycles in Manchester, Connecticut, have been arrested Monday (June 22) by police authorities. The charges include second-degree reckless endangerment and risk of injury to a minor.

Shouting Racial Slurs

Reports say that around 1:30 a.m., the police responded to a call about a car trying to ram a bicyclist, and a case of bicycle theft from a pedestrian. After talking to witnesses and the teens, police authorities said they have identified the suspects and found the car involved in a particular address. They attempted to get in touch with the occupants of the house but said they were unsuccessful. On Monday, as soon as warrants were obtained, the police immediately went to arrest the Lemelin brothers.

According to the police report, the teens were riding their bikes when they were suddenly followed and tried to be hit by a car with two white male occupants. One of the boys said the car almost hit them. The Black teens also reported that after running them off the road, one of the men got out of their car and hurled racial slurs at the teenagers. He then went after them and took one of the bicycles that have been left by the teens in a hurry.

Called The N-Word

In a subsequent interview with NBC Connecticut, Christina Torres, the mother of one of the teens, said that her 13-year-old son, Nasir White, along with two of his friends were going to a gas station when they heard the suspects shouting the N-word at them. Torres narrated that the three then ran down the street and hid in a bush while calling 911.

According to Torres, she always tells her son Nasir that he has to work harder because of his skin color. She admitted feeling pain in telling him that, but it is the truth. “There's no doubt in my mind that if they got their hands on one of these little boys, they were going to hurt them,” said Torres. She also told NBC that she and her son have to stand together because the situation could have ended differently. The mother expressed her anxiety that she could have awakened on Sunday morning hearing that her son is already dead.

Other Charges

The police also charged Matthew Lemelin with third-degree criminal mischief, second-degree breach of peace, and sixth-degree larceny. On the other hand, authorities also charged Michael Lemelin with second-degree breach of peace.