Black property owner is arrested for defending himself against white trespasser

An empty property on the outskirts of Angie, La. in Washington Parish was the site of a dispute between a Black property owner and white trespasser that turned violent on Friday, Feb. 26, and ultimately led to charges against the property owner for what amounts to defending himself on his own property, WWL News reported.

“Our client was on his property because somebody else, he didn’t invite, was on his property selling paraphernalia,” attorney Annie Spell told WWL. “Our client asked that person to leave. He wouldn’t leave, there was a shoving match. When the man went to his car, our client feared for his safety, he went to his car, he was on his property, he grabbed a gun he legally has a right to own, he held it by his side and the man left.”

But Spell, also a former president of the Greater Covington Branch of the NAACP, said the situation is far from a simple skirmish.

“What makes this case awful is that our client is a Black man, and it was on his property. The trespasser was a white man selling racist paraphernalia. Confederate flags, things that my client, not only didn’t give him permission to sell, but also things he finds highly offensive,” she said.

The Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office says the salesman, Matthew Barrentine, claims the property owner, Virgil Rayford, hit him with the gun. Rayford, who denied the claim, was arrested for aggravated assault with a firearm and simple battery while Barrentine was given a citation for criminal trespassing.

Rayford told WWL what’s most upsetting about this situation is that that kind of culture continues to thrive in his community.
“I’m a person that I don’t want problems with anybody, but I don’t like this racism thing,” he said.

Rayford says he’s in this situation for trying to finally address that, and if anything, he hopes it leads to people finding better ways to be different, together.

Rayford’s attorneys are calling on District Attorney Warren Montgomery to drop the charges. Montgomery had no comment.

WWL News said its attempts to reach Barrentine for comment were unsuccessful.

This article originally published in the March 7, 2016 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.