A white Richford man who police say tried to run down a Black man on a porch with his truck while shouting racial slurs is facing a charge of attempted first-degree murder, as well as other offenses, with a hate crime enhancement.
Anthony Mason, 27, pleaded not guilty via video from prison Thursday in Franklin County Superior criminal court to that charge, in addition to offenses of grossly negligent driving, two counts of unlawful mischief, and disorderly conduct with a hate crime enhancement.
He faces life in prison on the attempted murder charge alone. He’s accused of ramming his truck into a porch where a man was standing; at the same time, Mason was allegedly shouting slurs and yelled that he wanted to kill the man.
Steve Dunham, a public defender representing Mason at the arraignment, argued that the evidence did not support a charge of attempted murder. He said that driving into the porch was not enough to show an attempt to kill.
“There needs to be a possibility,” Dunham said.
Deputy Franklin County State’s Attorney John Lavoie countered that, in addition to yelling racial slurs, Mason was shouting about wanting to kill the man when he drove at him on the porch.
“There’s a real possibility he could accomplish his goal,” Lavoie said.
Judge Michael Kupersmith agreed to let the charge stand, at least for now. He told Dunham he could file additional motions on the matter.
Police said they received a call Wednesday at 9:10 a.m. from Michael Wilson, who reported that Mason — a person he knew — had driven his truck over the lawn on Wilson’s home on Troy Street in Richford. Wilson, who is Black, also told police that Mason had driven the truck at him while Wilson and his dog were on the porch, according to a police affidavit filed in the case, running into the porch near where he was standing.
Wilson told police that Mason was mad at him because he thought he was having a sexual relationship with Mason’s girlfriend, which he said he was not. Wilson said that Mason had sent him a message over social media earlier that morning, threatening to kill him and using racial epithets, the affidavit stated.
Later that morning, Wilson told police he was in his apartment when he heard a truck engine revving and someone yelling slurs.
He said he went onto the porch and saw Mason drive by, then turn around, come back toward him, and drive into the porch where he was standing with his dog, then ran over a dirt bike. After that, Mason took off like a “bat out of hell,” the police affidavit stated.
Two other witnesses provided similar accounts, the filing stated.
Police said they then went to Mason’s home and arrested him. He told police he did drive by Wilson’s house, yelling, and did run over the dirt bike, according the affidavit. He said when he then tried to drive away, Wilson came out to him, banged on the passenger side window, and pointed a gun at the truck, according to the affidavit.
Mason said he heard a gunshot and drove away, the affidavit stated. “Mason also explained that he was a racist,” the filing stated.
Mason’s brother told police he was following his brother that morning, fearing what he would do, and he gave police a similar account of the incident.
In examining the truck, police said, they saw the front bumper dented and sod and grass under the vehicle. “There were no bullet holes found on the truck,” the affidavit stated.
Police said they also canvassed the neighborhood and talked to people.
“They had several different statements, from nothing was heard to there were gunshots,” the filing stated. “No one wanted to write a statement, and it was the ‘talk of the town.’”
Lavoie, the prosecutor, argued during the arraignment that Mason should be held without bail.
Dunham, Mason’s defense attorney, sought to have his client released to the custody of his parents and allowed to go to work, or to abide by a 24-hour curfew.
Kupersmith sided with Lavoie and ordered Mason held without bail.