Photo: Strekoza2 / iStock Editorial / Getty Images
Cellphone video caught the shocking moment a white man pointed a gun at a Black delivery driver several times and allegedly called her racial slurs. According to a criminal complaint obtained by KDKA-TV, 65-year-old Brian Dengler was charged for allegedly holding Linquita Schley at gunpoint on December 21.
The incident happened while Schley was delivering packages on Brownsville Road in Brentwood, a suburb in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. Footage recorded by a neighbor shows Denger shoving the gun at Schley multiple times. Schley claims the suspect had the firearm under her chin and hurled racial epithets during the terrifying encounter.
"What was going through my mind? I got flashbacks of my stepson," the delivery driver told reporters "I was getting flashbacks of my girlfriend, flashbacks of my mom. I was getting flashbacks of my life and how grateful I need to start being for it."
Schley said she "snapped" after Dengler allegedly tried to lift her chin with the weapon.
"I snapped back in reality and I pushed it down," the victim recounted, adding that she shoved the angry suspect's hand away. "Said, 'Oh, now you are doing too much, move, watch out.'"
Dengler confessed to pulling the gun on Schley out of rage, the complaint states. When asked why he did so, he reportedly said it was over her delivery truck blocking his driveway.
The 65-year-old man was charged with simple assault, ethnic intimidation, and terroristic threats.
Amazon also issued a statement to KDKA-TV on Thursday (December 28) over the incident:
"This is a terrible incident and we're thankful the driver is okay. Safety is always our top priority, and while instances like this are rare across our network, we continuously invest in protecting drivers and community members. We'll continue to support the delivery partner and law enforcement as they investigate."
The Black Information Network is your source for Black News! Get the latest news 24/7 on The Black Information Network. Listen now on the iHeartRadio app or click HERE to tune in live.