Long Island, New York police are investigating accusations by a black resident that he has been racially harassed by his neighbors for about three years, with feces and dead squirrels dumped in his yard. At least some of these allegations appear to have been part of a legal claim by the resident that resulted in a ruling.
Jennifer McLeggan, a registered nurse and mother who lives in Valley Stream, just east of New York City, says she fears for her life and that of her young son due to bullying, according to NBC New York.
McLeggan alleges that neighbors left dead squirrels and human feces in his yard and told him to return to his place of origin, reports NBC New York.
NBC New York’s surveillance video of McLeggan’s house appears to show a white man with a gun. It is unclear who the man is, but according to police comments Tuesday, the weapon may have been a pellet gun.
In a written note that is several feet long and covers most of McLeggan’s front door, she says, “I took a video to court and won a $ 5,000 judgment for my videos” of the harassment.
“They have had their friends come spit on my property and it was recorded,” McLeggan wrote. “A torch was brought to my house at 3 am. They said I can ‘erase’ “
Attempts to contact McLeggan by phone on Tuesday were unsuccessful and there was no option to leave a voice message.
Court records show McLeggan won a small claims court trial against Mindy Canarick in 2019. A court official told NBC News Tuesday that the ruling was $ 5,036.24.
Nassau County Police told NBC News early Tuesday that they were investigating McLeggan’s allegations.
At a press conference Tuesday afternoon, County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder did not name McLeggan but referred to her as the plaintiff.
He said he has been in a dispute with neighbors, the McEneaney family: Michael McEneaney, 82, his son John, 57, and his girlfriend, Canarick, 53, since 2017 when McLeggan moved into his residence.
Canarick could not immediately be reached Tuesday at the numbers listed for her.
Phone calls to people with McEneaney’s last name at the same address as Canarick were also not answered Tuesday.
Ryder said at the press conference that since 2017, the police have received about 50 calls from McLeggan and the neighboring McEneaney family, divided “almost equally.”
All complaints to the police were unfounded, Ryder said.
Police went to McLeggan’s house recently in response to a report made via social media of a sign posted on his door, the commissioner said.
Police took a statement from McLeggan and elder McEneaney, Ryder said, adding that police have not spoken to John McEneaney because he is no longer staying at his father’s house out of concern for his safety.
Ryder said two pellet pistols, a rifle and a handgun, were found at the McEneaney residence and were used to shoot targets in the backyard of the home.
“There were allegations that the squirrels had been shot,” Ryder said of the McEneaneys. “There have been neighbors who have found dead squirrels in their yards.”
He added: “We are investigating whether the McEneaney family shot them with BB guns.”
Regarding reports of feces dumped on McLeggan’s property, Ryder said, in apparent reference to the 2019 matter that resulted in a trial: “The act of feces dumped through the fence. There was already a civil complaint made. A civil agreement made to our victim. That is already done. It is in the past.
He said the dispute between neighbors “has gotten a little out of control” and that there was an attempt to light a torch in a backyard at 3 am one morning. He said police plan to speak to John McEneaney about that incident.
Ryder said Elder McEneaney has said he is not looking for a problem and is not prejudiced against his neighbor.
“Right now, we have no evidence of bias,” Ryder said. “But that doesn’t mean it’s not there. We have more work to do. We want to get ahead of this.”
The commissioner added that while there is no current evidence of criminality on either side, the investigation is ongoing. “None of these neighbors are moving out of their home,” said Ryder. “So the problem is not going to go away unless we address it.”
Also at Tuesday’s press conference was Nassau County Executive Laura Curran, who reiterated statements she made on Monday. “Here in Nassau County, hate crimes and bigotry have absolutely no place,” she said.
Valley Stream has a population that is 41.8 percent white and 27.6 percent black, according to the latest census data.
McLeggan’s claims have been posted to an Instagram account with the username standwithjennifer who has 12,000 followers.
Social media posts about McLeggan’s allegations have caught the attention of public officials.
State Assemblywoman Michaëlle Solages, who represents part of the county, said on Twitter: “Thank you to everyone who contacted us regarding the harassment of the #ValleyStream owner. We are reaching out to her. We are asking for a full investigation.”
A protest is planned for Thursday at 5 p.m. on Valley Stream in support of McLeggan, social media posts show.