A California woman at the center of an embarrassing viral video has issued an apology — but it’s not likely to land very well.
Carrie Maxwell of Bakersfield, California, had grown very disturbed by the sound of protesters near her home on June 5th. She could hear “profanities” being yelled as protesters marching against police brutality and racism engaged with Trump-flag waving counter-protesters and grew frustrated when police said there was nothing they could do.
So Maxwell took matters into her own hands, going outside and immediately accosting protester Erika Baze and her eight-year-old daughter, who were on their way back to their car. Maxwell told Baze that she wasn’t allowed to be there, that she would call the cops on her, and then got violent, prompting Baze to begin filming her.
“I’ll f*cking kill you!” screamed Maxwell at Baze before being dragged away by her husband as Baze’s daughter sobbed.
Now Maxwell has issued an apology through her lawyer, claiming that it was “anxiety, frustration, and panic” that caused her to lash out and threaten to kill a Black mother in front of her child.
“I want to offer my sincerest apology to anyone who was hurt by my behavior in that video.
My behavior was never intended in any way to diminish this important time in the life of our country. Like everyone else, I was horrified by the video of the murder of George Floyd. every man, woman, and child deserves to be treated with dignity, compassion, and equality, regardless of the color of their skin, and every person deserves to live a life free of fear.
What you saw in that video was a captured moment of my anxiety, frustration, and panic for the safety of my family. I am the caretaker for my 18-year-old autistic son and my elderly mother who has COPD and is extremely vulnerable to health complications. I had seen news coverage of the protests turning into riots across the country and was aware that the protest near my home had turned to confrontation the day before. When I heard protesters gathering near my home, loudly chanting profanities, I became overwhelmed with anxiety and fear. I called the police and was told there was nothing they could do. I went out to ask the protesters to move the protest away from my home. This was not shown on the video that was posted. there was a woman who became confrontational and I responded in a inappropriate manner. I never intended to cause fear. i never spoke to or threatened this woman’s daughter. I have never even been in a physical altercation in my life.”
It’s hard to take her apology seriously after behaving so appallingly during a protest that was focused on fighting the exact kind of behavior that Maxwell exhibited!
She saw a random black person who “didn’t belong.” Her white fear and subconscious racism told her this mother and her daughter were a threat, and she responded first by threatening to have the cops come — which, at this point, we know is, in essence, a death threat — and then threatened to kill her when the cops wouldn’t do it for her.
This exact scenario has played out so many times before and has resulted in the death of the black person involved far too often, and that is why we must continue marching. Maxwell can apologize all she wants, but she clearly needs to do some serious soul-searching and self-reflection on why she behaved the way she did.