‘Use a Sledge Hammer’: A White Massachusetts Man Was Jailed for Racist Attack on a Black Fisherman and His Child, Then He Decided to Take It Further
A white Massachusetts man who was recorded hurling rocks and racial slurs at a Black fisherman and his daughter is now facing new charges for allegedly trying to bribe someone to vandalize the family's boat. David McPartlan, 67, was charged with assault last summer following a racist confrontation with competitive fisherman Sheron Brown and Brown's 10-year-old daughter, Azaylia. Sheron Brown and his daughter were called racial slurs while fishing at Lake Shirley in Lunenburg, Massachusetts. (Photo: Sheron K. Brown) During a fishing outing on Lake Shirley in Lunenburg last May, the father-daughter duo drove a boat through public waters that happened to be near McPartlan's property. Brown said McPartlan told him that he "shouldn’t be fishing there," demanded they move their boat elsewhere, then threw a large rock, which landed near the Brown's vessel. Brown started recording cellphone video at that point. He's heard asking McPartlan, “Did you just throw a rock at me?” ‘Not Going to Touch Me!’: Black 7-Eleven Employee Calls White Man’s Bluff After He Chucks Candy, Hurls the N-Word, Then He Becomes an Internet Joke “Yeah, I threw rocks at you, ," McPartlan yelled back. McPartlan was arrested and charged with two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon and two counts of assault with intent to intimidate. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and was released on personal recognizance. However, his beef with the Browns didn't stop there. Last September, the 67-year-old was charged with witness intimidation after he allegedly tried to bribe one of his employees into vandalizing the Browns' boat, according to court records cited by The Boston Globe. He allegedly told the employee that he could damage the boat and receive $500 or refuse and risk losing his job. “McPartlan provided with Brown’s address, where the boat would be located,” court documents state. “McPartlan provided specific instructions and ordered to use a sledge hammer and smash the engine on the back of Brown’s boat.” The worker refused McPartlan's offer and was fired. A judge recently ordered McPartlan to remain jailed without bail for 90 days after concluding that he could not follow bail conditions, including having no contact with the victim and his family. McPartlan's attorney, Roy W. Pastor, denied allegations that his client tried to hire someone else to carry out a payback scheme. Pastor argued that it was the employee who offered to vandalize the boat in exchange for $500. He also claimed that McPartlan is an "elderly man" who suffers from mental agitation and memory loss. “Mr. McPartlan suffers from a long-standing serious head and brain injury. Due to an industrial accident, Mr. McPartlan has undergone two brain surgeries and lives with a large metal plate in his head,” the attorney wrote. “Mr. McPartlan, in recent months, during the pendency of this case, has undergone CAT scans and other examinations of his head… The medical exams produced visible evidence of damage and he has been referred for further examination and testing for neuropsychological examinations.” McPartlan will return to court on Feb. 6.
