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Pennsylvania senator John Fetterman’s post celebrating Juneteenth on Monday, June 19, sparked outrage among netizens who were quick to dredge up an old incident where the Democrat once pulled a shotgun on a black jogger in 2013.
In 2013, Fetterman was serving his second term as the mayor of Braddock when he heard gunshots near his home and saw a person running past his street. Fetterman then pursued the man in his truck with a shotgun beside him after he wrongly believed the person had been involved in a shooting.
The man, identified as Christopher Miyares, who was black, was reportedly jogging near the area when he was unceremoniously stopped by Fetterman, who had a firearm by his side. However, an officer who responded to reports of gunfire searched Miyares and found that he was unarmed. Shortly after, Fetterman was accused of racial profiling.
While the incident didn't garner much attention back in 2013, the internet, which is not quick to forget past blunders, unearthed the old racial profiling allegations against the senator. On Monday, Fetterman posted a message celebrating Juneteenth, saying:
“Happy Juneteenth! Today we celebrate emancipation + reflect on the long shadow of systemic racism in America. PA always stands by the unshakeable truth that Black families matter + Black lives matter.”
The message posted on Twitter prompted a user to reply:
Twitter erupts over John Fetterman's Juneteenth Post
The 2013 incident involving John Fetterman was relatively dormant until he began campaigning for the 2022 senate race in Pennsylvania. Last year, his opponents weaponized the incident to launch their attack against the Democratic candidate. During a debate last year, when asked if he would do anything different in the present climate, he said:
“The people of Braddock who know me, that know my heart, know that 2013 had nothing to do with what we’re saying today. There was no profiling or anything involved.”
However, netizens appeared to disagree with John Fetterman’s assertions, as several people took to Twitter to criticize the senator over his Juneteenth post. One user commented saying:
“Remember when I pulled a shotgun on an unarmed black man in a clear case of racial profiling?”
Another added:
“Is that what you told the unarmed black teen you held at gunpoint because he looked suspicious?”
Few others echoed the statement and said:
While John Fetterman’s post sparked outrage among people, he is yet to respond to the criticism. He has also repeatedly denied that he pointed a shotgun at the black jogger. However, at the time, Christopher Miyares maintained that the senator aimed the shotgun at his chest.
Last year, Fawn Walker-Montgomery, a former city council member of a jurisdiction near Braddock criticized Fetterman over the 2013 incident. He said:
“He was a white man with a gun chasing a black man. I used to be on the council in McKeesport, and if I chased after a person with a gun, I would still be in jail. He’s showing he’s not aware of his white privilege.”
Earlier this year, John Fetterman checked himself into the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to receive medical help for depression.
