Sheriff Apologizes To Black Pastor Who Was Arrested After Calling 911 For Help

A Shenandoah County, Virginia Sheriff has apologized to a Black preacher who was arrested by authorities after calling 9-1-1 while allegedly being attacked by a white family on his property.

Pastor Leon McCray of the Lighthouse Church and Marketplace Ministries International said during a church sermon that on June 1, he saw two people trying to dump a refrigerator on his property. When he confronted them, one of the trespassers began to attack him verbally, and the other went to get more people.

The group of five people started threatening to kill him and began telling him that his “Black life didn’t matter,” while attacking him both physically and verbally. McCray pulled out a gun to protect him during the altercation, and once the people left, McCray called 9-1-1 for help.

When officers arrived, they spoke to his white attackers and were uninterested in hearing McCray’s side of the story.

“I was really never given an opportunity to tell what was going on and how I was treated, how I was trespassed upon, how I was assaulted both verbally as well as physically. And why I felt compelled and was compelled to pull my weapon to save my life,” McCray recounted during his Sunday sermon on June 7.

Instead of arresting the alleged attackers, the officers arrested McCray for brandishing his weapon instead.

Shenandoah County Sheriff Timothy Carter apologized to McCray and has posted a lengthy statement on the Shenandoah County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page to give an update in regards to the incident.

“Mr. McCray met with me on Wednesday the 3rd of June, and after talking with him about the incident, it was apparent to me that the charge of brandishing was certainly not appropriate,” Carter said in the statement. “Actually, as I told Mr. McCray, if I were faced with similar circumstances, I would have probably done the same thing.”

Two supervisors have been placed on unpaid administrative leave while a review of the incident is completed.

The Shenandoah Commonwealth’s Attorney reviewed the case, and at the recommendation of the sheriff, the brandishing charge will be dropped.

On Thursday, warrants were issued to the five attackers and all were taken into custody. Donny Richard Salyers, 43, Dennis James Salyers, 26, Farrah Lee Salyers, 42, Christopher Kevin Sharp, 57, Amanda Dawn Salyers, 26, have all been charged with assault and a hate crime.

All are currently being held without bond, and their first court appearance is scheduled for June 17.