Florida Man Allegedly Threatens To Lynch Local NAACP Chapter Leader, Who Responds With Love
“If I ever have the opportunity, I would ask him why, and I would tell him I love him," Evelyn Foxx says.
A homeless man from Gainesville, Florida is accused of calling the president of the Alachua County NAACP chapter and threatening to lynch her. The official’s reaction? “I love him.”
Ronald Morris Wadford, 75, was arrested on Thursday on two counts of aggravated stalking as a hate crime for allegedly threatening to lynch Evelyn Foxx, according to The Gainesville Sun.
The allegations stem from November 2016, when Wadford is accused of calling Foxx six times, claiming he was a member of the Ku Klux Klan and stating that he was going to show up to her home to lynch her. During those calls, Wadford is accused of hurling racial slurs at Foxx.
Foxx said she left town at the time out of fear, the Associated Press reported.
She attended Wadford’s first court appearance on Friday morning. His bail has been set at $500,000, according to online jail records.
“I could see the hate and bigotry in his eyes,” she told the Gainesville Sun. “It was not a big deal to him.”
She said that she hopes Wadford, who is reportedly homeless, gets the help he needs. She also responded to his threats with love.
“If I ever have the opportunity, I would ask him why, and I would tell him I love him,” Foxx told the Gainesville Sun. “Love conquers hate and that’s the only way we’re going to change our society for the better.”
Foxx has not immediately returned Oxygen.com’s request for comment.
Wadford is no stranger to the legal system. In the past, he has been charged with multiple counts of cocaine and narcotics possessions in addition to illegal weapons possession. It's not clear if Wadford has an attorney who can speak on his behalf.
[Photo: Alachua County Jail]