MINT HILL, N.C. — Editor's note: This story discusses an incident currently under investigation that involves the use of a racial slur. Photo and video showing the slur have been edited so as not to show it.
A Mint Hill neighborhood is outraged after a slur word was found written in the snow outside a family’s home. The culprit has been determined to be a teenager, and now police looking into the incident to determine if charges will be filed.
The words in the snow have since melted, but Roscoe Trotman said he will never forget the racial slur left outside his home of 13 years. It happened on Saturday, January 22.
“This is the first incident that showed any type of racial prejudice towards us,” he said.
The N-word was written in the snow after the storm. A few houses down, the first three letters were again repeated.
The Union County Sheriff’s Office says it was done by a teenage girl.
Tammy Pippen moved into the area about six months ago, and is disgusted by what she saw.
“It was big, bold, and blatant,” she said.
"Why would you put something in the snow like that, especially that word which conjures up all kinds of emotion…in a person,” said Trotman.
A Ring camera recorded what happened. The sheriff’s office believes the girls in the video is the one responsible. They go on to say the 16-year-old was walking in the neighborhood after 1:30 a,m. Because of her age, her identity will not be released. Lieutenant James Maye with the sheriff's office said the teen was visiting family members.
"We’re still actively investigating the case, following up on some additional leads to include sitting down with this young lady and her parents, or her guardians, to try to determine exactly what her motive was behind this, and what we can do to obviously present prevent this in the future,” he said.
He adds that if there is proof of a direct threat against someone or property damage, then the teen could be charged with ethnic intimidation.
"We have a zero-tolerance policy on this, we're not going to allow this type of behavior to continue," said Maye. "We're not going to condone it and we consider this a deplorable thing."
Following the incident, the Olde Sycamore Homeowner’s Association sent a letter to all its residents saying in part “it will not condone any action against any neighbor due to their differences.”
The full letter follows:
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Trotman says it isn't enough.
“The letter doesn’t represent what happened. It doesn’t mention anything about a racial act towards us," he said.
He said teens at that age should know right from wrong, and he wants the girl responsible to be held accountable for her actions.
"Whatever the law calls for in this particular matter," Trotman said, "I would like them to be prosecuted and I would like them to get some help."
“Just grow up and respect people. This is a neighborhood that we live in," said Pippen, "just respect your neighbors."
Deputies hope to finish their investigation within the next week or two.
Contact Jesse Pierre at jpierrepet@wcnc.com or follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.