Black ranchers are arrested for stalking their white neighbors who they claim are killing and mutilating their livestock: Animals are named George Floyd, Breonna and Juneteenth
Two black ranchers in Colorado were arrested on stalking charges after claiming that they have been the victims of an intimidation campaign orchestrated by white neighbors and law enforcement.
Courtney and Nicole Mallery, of El Paso County, Colorado have said they have been subjected to racial abuse as well as 'acts of vandalism and animal mutilation of their livestock.' They have also accused neighbors of murdering a man who worked for them.
In a statement this week, the Mallerys said: ' Unfortunately, there are still corrupt police and racist people out there who are trying to block minority farmers from using their agricultural land because of their race.
The couple said that the police have not investigated their claims of harassment, something that the local sheriff's office has denied. The Mallerys own close to 1,000 acres in eastern El Paso County named Freedom Acres Ranch.
The Mallery's dispute was first brought to national attention thanks to a January article published on the website Ark Republic. The dispute between neighbors is thought to be over a property line.
Courtney has filed six restraining orders against a neighbor in their county, reports 9 News.
The station says that the neighbor has filed a similar order against him, claiming that she was harassed and stalked.
The neighbor in question was named as Teresa Clark by Colorado Public Radio.
Courtney says that Clark has come on to his property uninvited, pointed guns, damaged a gate and security cameras as well making threats on social media.
While Clark alleges that Courtney hurt her horse and turned some of her animals loose.
Nicole told CBS News: 'We are stalked, we are harassed, we are chased, we are followed, there's been spray paint where they put "n*****" on items on our home.'
A GoFundMe effort that has been set up by a relative of the Mallery's, Geneva B., of Colorado Springs, has raised $60,000.
Geneva wrote on the page that the Mallerys had set up their ranch after losing everything in Hurricane Harvey, a storm that devastated Texas and Louisiana in 2017.
She said that the Mallerys are fighting for their land in 'a predominantly white and hostile Colorado county.' The money raised will go towards enhanced security measures on the ranch.
The couple bought the ranch in August 2020. Since the harassment began, Courtney told Ark Republic that he estimates that he has lost $200,000.
On that page it's alleged that the couple are the victims of a wide-ranging conspiracy that includes El Paso County Sheriff's Deputy Sgt. Emory 'Ray' Gerhart who is trying to force the Mallerys from their land.
Courtney told Ark Republic that he has footage of Gerhart observing their property. He said: 'Gerhart told me that if I keep calling the police, he’s going to arrest me... They are trying to steal my land and lock us up to cover this up.'
On the page for a Change.org petition that was set up by Courtney, asking for Gerhart's firing, he says that someone who worked on his ranch, Donaciano Amaya, was murdered on his property and left for the couple to find.
In May 2021, local media reported that Amaya's death was being investigated as a homicide.
In his interview with Ark Republic, Courtney said that Amaya was found dead in their chicken coop and that following the 'homicide,' the ranch hand's wife went missing. The couple's son is now in the custody of relatives.
Deputy Gerhart is married to Judge Shannon Gerhart who sits on the 4th Judicial County Court in Colorado.
Courtney says in the blurb for the petition that he is a United States Marine Corps veteran. He continued: 'In spite of fighting for our country, my family and I have faced threats of lynching and hanging and now live in constant fear for our lives in rural Colorado Springs.'
Courtney was arrested on Monday on a warrant for felony stalking. His $6,000 bond was paid and he was released after spending one night in jail. Nicole was released around an hour after her arrest.
A judge ruled that one of the conditions of Courtney's release was that he was not to have any contact with his neighbors. Judge Deborah Pearson told the court: 'The court is concerned about the risk to the victims and the community as part of this stalking case.'
Courtney will appear in court again on February 14. His wife is due in court on Thursday.
9 News now reports that the NAACP is investigating the Mallery's claims. The president of the Rocky Mountain chapter Portia Prescott told 9 News: 'I would really hope that the El Paso County Sheriff's department and several others in rural areas understand that we're taking this very seriously.'
In a separate interview with CPR, Prescott said: 'It's a very touchy situation. This has been going on since 2021, but it escalated in March. You don't ever know who's telling the truth and who's not telling the truth.'
Prescott went on to say that the two sides are fighting of a dividing property line that it not clearly defined by documents.
While the sheriff's office has said in a press release that they have responded 170 calls involving the Mallerys and investigated 19 different complaints.
The office said that they will release documents and bodycam video to back up their claims. At the time of writing, the materials have not been released.
One sentence of the press release read: 'The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office vehemently denies these allegations.'
According to CPR, El Paso County Sheriff Joseph Roybal is attempting to have the Black and Latino Leadership Coalition mediate the dispute.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...e-workers-animals-killed-white-neighbors.html
- Black ranchers Courtney and Nicole Mallery were arrested this week in Colorado
- The couple are accused of stalking their neighbors over a property dispute
- The Mallerys say they're the victims of racially motivated hate campaign
Two black ranchers in Colorado were arrested on stalking charges after claiming that they have been the victims of an intimidation campaign orchestrated by white neighbors and law enforcement.
Courtney and Nicole Mallery, of El Paso County, Colorado have said they have been subjected to racial abuse as well as 'acts of vandalism and animal mutilation of their livestock.' They have also accused neighbors of murdering a man who worked for them.
In a statement this week, the Mallerys said: ' Unfortunately, there are still corrupt police and racist people out there who are trying to block minority farmers from using their agricultural land because of their race.
The couple said that the police have not investigated their claims of harassment, something that the local sheriff's office has denied. The Mallerys own close to 1,000 acres in eastern El Paso County named Freedom Acres Ranch.
The Mallery's dispute was first brought to national attention thanks to a January article published on the website Ark Republic. The dispute between neighbors is thought to be over a property line.
Courtney has filed six restraining orders against a neighbor in their county, reports 9 News.
The station says that the neighbor has filed a similar order against him, claiming that she was harassed and stalked.
The neighbor in question was named as Teresa Clark by Colorado Public Radio.
Courtney says that Clark has come on to his property uninvited, pointed guns, damaged a gate and security cameras as well making threats on social media.
While Clark alleges that Courtney hurt her horse and turned some of her animals loose.
Nicole told CBS News: 'We are stalked, we are harassed, we are chased, we are followed, there's been spray paint where they put "n*****" on items on our home.'
A GoFundMe effort that has been set up by a relative of the Mallery's, Geneva B., of Colorado Springs, has raised $60,000.
Geneva wrote on the page that the Mallerys had set up their ranch after losing everything in Hurricane Harvey, a storm that devastated Texas and Louisiana in 2017.
She said that the Mallerys are fighting for their land in 'a predominantly white and hostile Colorado county.' The money raised will go towards enhanced security measures on the ranch.
The couple bought the ranch in August 2020. Since the harassment began, Courtney told Ark Republic that he estimates that he has lost $200,000.
On that page it's alleged that the couple are the victims of a wide-ranging conspiracy that includes El Paso County Sheriff's Deputy Sgt. Emory 'Ray' Gerhart who is trying to force the Mallerys from their land.
Courtney told Ark Republic that he has footage of Gerhart observing their property. He said: 'Gerhart told me that if I keep calling the police, he’s going to arrest me... They are trying to steal my land and lock us up to cover this up.'
On the page for a Change.org petition that was set up by Courtney, asking for Gerhart's firing, he says that someone who worked on his ranch, Donaciano Amaya, was murdered on his property and left for the couple to find.
In May 2021, local media reported that Amaya's death was being investigated as a homicide.
In his interview with Ark Republic, Courtney said that Amaya was found dead in their chicken coop and that following the 'homicide,' the ranch hand's wife went missing. The couple's son is now in the custody of relatives.
Deputy Gerhart is married to Judge Shannon Gerhart who sits on the 4th Judicial County Court in Colorado.
Courtney says in the blurb for the petition that he is a United States Marine Corps veteran. He continued: 'In spite of fighting for our country, my family and I have faced threats of lynching and hanging and now live in constant fear for our lives in rural Colorado Springs.'
Courtney was arrested on Monday on a warrant for felony stalking. His $6,000 bond was paid and he was released after spending one night in jail. Nicole was released around an hour after her arrest.
A judge ruled that one of the conditions of Courtney's release was that he was not to have any contact with his neighbors. Judge Deborah Pearson told the court: 'The court is concerned about the risk to the victims and the community as part of this stalking case.'
Courtney will appear in court again on February 14. His wife is due in court on Thursday.
9 News now reports that the NAACP is investigating the Mallery's claims. The president of the Rocky Mountain chapter Portia Prescott told 9 News: 'I would really hope that the El Paso County Sheriff's department and several others in rural areas understand that we're taking this very seriously.'
In a separate interview with CPR, Prescott said: 'It's a very touchy situation. This has been going on since 2021, but it escalated in March. You don't ever know who's telling the truth and who's not telling the truth.'
Prescott went on to say that the two sides are fighting of a dividing property line that it not clearly defined by documents.
While the sheriff's office has said in a press release that they have responded 170 calls involving the Mallerys and investigated 19 different complaints.
The office said that they will release documents and bodycam video to back up their claims. At the time of writing, the materials have not been released.
One sentence of the press release read: 'The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office vehemently denies these allegations.'
According to CPR, El Paso County Sheriff Joseph Roybal is attempting to have the Black and Latino Leadership Coalition mediate the dispute.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...e-workers-animals-killed-white-neighbors.html
