By: Teresa Mull
A black pastor pulled his legally-owned gun in self-defense and was arrested for it. Now, the sheriff is apologizing for his department’s actions.
Fox News reports:
Shenandoah County Sheriff Timothy Carter announced Friday that prosecutors dropped a charge of brandishing a licensed handgun in self-defense against Pastor Leon McCray, Sr. He also said five people accused of threatening to kill the pastor after trying to dump a refrigerator on his Woodstock property were being charged.
Sheriff Carter met with McCray two days after the incident. He said four of the five were already charged with assault or trespassing, but after hearing from the pastor, he initiated a review that led to additional charges against all five.
Carter said he also urged a prosecutor to drop the weapons charge against McCray.
“As I told Mr. McCray, if I were faced with similar circumstances, I would have probably done the same thing,” Carter said.
Two sheriff’s office supervisors have been placed on unpaid administrative leave while the investigation continues, Carter said.
Listen to the pastor, who is an Air Force veteran, explain what happened in his own words:
Teresa Mull is editor of Gunpowder Magazine.