‘Confrontational’ neighbor leaves eastside couple in a bind

Local & State

Published Friday, June 14, 2024 4:28 pm

By Kylie Marsh | For The Charlotte Post

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‘Confrontational’ neighbor leaves eastside couple in a bind

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Yard signs at Jay Walker’s east Charlotte home remind neighbors of the confrontations with neighbor Richard Eury, which includes threatening statements and racial slurs.

Grove Park is a quiet east Charlotte neighborhood of single-family homes with spacious yards perfumed by blue hydrangeas. At the entrance, a sign in front of a small park boasts “All are welcome here.” Jay Walker and his wife retired to Grove Park from New York more than 10 years ago but are now debating whether to leave.

On June 15, neighbors and activists will host a “love thy neighbor cookout” in support of the couple, who say they have faced harassment from a neighbor for over five years. Large wooden signs in the front yard across the street from the Walkers have framed images of Jay Walker, who is Black, taking out trash or working in his garden. The signs read “lewd neighbor” and “beware of lunatic neighbor” in capital letters. Similar signs are taped to the mailbox. The house with the signs belongs to Richard “Rick” Daniel Eury, a white man whom Walker says has harassed him and other neighbors.

One neighbor, who declined to give their name for safety concerns, once lived on the same street. In a video they shared with The Post, Eury can be seen aiming pepper spray at them and yelling slurs. A screenshot of the video appears on the neighbor’s Instagram page advertising the cookout. They organized a gathering for the Walkers on June 1. The idea was to help the Walkers enjoy their own front yard – something the couple says the harassment doesn’t allow. Guests painted signs that read “love thy neighbor” with a large peace sign and “change will come” on the front lawn. Others sat on blankets talking and reading, once singing “we love you, Rick.”

Originally, Jay Walker said, he and Eury were on speaking terms, but in a July 2021 meeting between Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Community Relations Commission and neighbors, CRC director Willie Ratchford wrote in a memo obtained by The Post “it was determined that Mr. Eury’s actions are confrontational, but not criminal.” They recommended the Walkers report any harassment to 911, document it, and file a no-contact order. Jay Walker said he filed a no-contact order, but police suggested he cancel it. Other times, Walker said, police don’t show up when called.

The CRC keeps details of mediation cases confidential. “They said they can’t do nothing for us, just [tell us] to stay in the house,” Walker said. When contacted by The Post, Eury said he would speak on the record on the condition that a meeting take place at CMPD’s Hickory Grove Division office. The Post reached out to CMPD public affairs, which declined to comment.

The Grove Park neighborhood association board responded in an email: “CMPD has been involved. The board does not get involved in legal disputes.” Eury has been charged with communicating threats, assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury, assault on a female, misdemeanor probation violation, and misdemeanor larceny since 2006. Each case was thrown out. He has also filed charges seven times against Walker in the last three years: four criminal and three civil. All have been dismissed.

Volunteers with Feed the Movement, a grassroots mutual aid group, used social media promotion to raise money for surveillance upgrades to the Walkers’ property. “There just seems to be a lack of recognition or urgency on how serious or severe this situation could become,” said Lea Fatima, an activist and organizer with UNC Charlotte Students for Justice in Palestine. “I think there should be more compassion toward events like this. Mr. Walker’s wife isn’t even comfortable leaving out of the front door of her own house. That’s devastating.”

Fatima said she was shocked to see Eury poised at the end of his driveway photographing people visiting the Walkers when she drove up to their house as well as passersby. Neighbors also report seeing Eury install surveillance cameras in bushes and on trees at the end of his driveway.

After a neighbor’s house was burglarized, Walker said he installed a surveillance camera in his garage window that pointed toward the street. In an angry exchange, Walker said Eury shouted at him to “take the [expletive] camera down.” Because of the confrontations, Walker said neighbors, friends and family refuse to speak to him or visit. Some ask if Eury is home before coming over and opt to sit in the back garden instead of the porch.

“I just can’t live like this,” Walker said. “A good word is high anxiety. It’s affected my family, my friends, my health – it’s just not good. You’re looking over your shoulder. Anything could happen. … You’re always on edge. It wears you down. It’s hard to be in a good mood.”

Previously, Walker placed signs in his front lawn, reading “Our lives don’t matter” and “Racism sucks” as a call for support from neighbors. Instead, neighbors in the multiracial community have criticized Walker for posting the signs or shunned him outright.

“It feels very old-school racist, and I just think there’s been some enabling of that or just turning the other way, which in turn does enable it,” Fatima said. “It’s pointing to a devastating conclusion, at this point, without interjection.”

Walker appreciates the support but has given up hope anything can be done short of intervention. He has tried to contact Black Lives Matter, the NAACP, local labor leaders, and even the Rev. Al Sharpton, to no avail. “They don’t want to be involved, they want to wait until something criminal happens,” he said.

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Comments

What wrong with the police.They should help that family ASAP! – Posted on June 16, 2024

Black people don’t have any rights when white people are involved in situations they are right even if they are wrong – Posted on June 15, 2024

The fact that CMPD is unwilling to make the Walkers feel safe in their home is appalling!! This tantamounts to terrorism! What is CMPD waiting for? I thought community policing was supposed to be for cases like this. I’m sorry this is happening to the Walkers. Grove Park is a great neighborhood with lots of great people. It breaks my heart that one bad apple is getting away with causing so much damage. – Posted on June 15, 2024

This is sad and outright disrespectful to the Walker family and many of the neighbors that has been subjected to this fury of rage. When you are innocent and have been victimized in your own dwelling the most that should be done is having being able to stand on your rights as a human being and a taxpaying residence. When you have done all you know to do and still no relief you feel hopeless and helpless. But there is a God and we have Jesus as our mediator he will hidh the mouths of the lions and use the instigator as Lions bait. What you do to others will come back to you. Right or wrong, good or bad. I want to tell the Walker family to hang in there keep fighting the right way and justice will prevail. – Posted on June 14, 2024