'I’m killing me a [racial epithet]': Man slapped with terrorizing charge after 'outrageous threat of violence'

A man from Maine is facing a civil rights complaint and terrorizing charges after he allegedly threatened the life of a Black woman and her family via a voicemail that also included a racial epithet.

Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey recently announced the filing of a complaint under the Maine Civil Rights Act. In the announcement, Frey said that Charles Barnes, age 45, left a threatening voicemail for a 32-year-old Black woman.

Among other things, Barnes purportedly said he was “waiting for someone to step outside and the first one who does is gonna die.” The man went on to say, “I don’t care if it’s her kid, or her, or her boyfriend. I don’t care...I’m killing me a [racial epithet].”

“The defendant’s statements amount to an outrageous threat of violence against the victim and all persons of color,” Frey said in a press release on Wednesday. “My office will take action under the Maine Civil Rights Act to enjoin racist threats that cause fear in our community and to prevent such threats from escalating into acts of violence.”

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After receiving the threatening voicemail, the female victim reportedly called police, and Barnes was arrested for the crime of terrorizing. His criminal case is pending, and the civil complaint seeks an injunction barring Barnes from having any contact with the victim or her family.

A knowing non-compliance with an order issued under the Civil Rights Act is a misdemeanor crime that is punishable by up to 364 days in jail and a $2,000 fine, according to local news reports.