New York State Police have accused a white man from Binghamton, New York, of threatening to hang a Black state senator from a tree.
Police arrested James A. Crosby, 48, on June 23. He is facing felony charges for making a terroristic threat categorized as a hate crime, according to the New York State Police. Crosby is currently in the Broome County jail without bail.
On June 19, Lea Webb, who represents New York’s 52nd District, spoke at a Juneteenth flag-raising ceremony at Binghamton City Hall. The celebration included prayers and the singing of the Black national anthem.
In her speech, Webb highlighted that progress towards freedom and justice does not occur in isolation and underscored the significance of community and collective commitment.
Crosby, a resident of Binghamton, was apparently enraged by these concepts. Because, according to the New York State Police, he allegedly jumped into the comments section of a Facebook post by local station WBNG 12 regarding the ceremony and posted a disturbing message directed at the senator. To wit: “I’d be proud to hang you from a tree.”
New York State Police said suspect possessed a rifle, a large-capacity magazine, and a suppressor, all of which state law prohibits .
New York State Police quickly launched an investigation. During the investigation, they discovered that Crosby possessed a rifle, a large-capacity magazine, and a suppressor, all of which state law prohibits .
Furthermore, due to a previous felony conviction, state law prohibited Crosby from owning firearms.
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. She called 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.