The controversy over the death of social and civil rights activist Sandra Bland in Texas is still building. News outlet the DailyKos is reporting that Waller County Prosecutor Elton Mathis has a history of threatening comments that border on racial bias.
Last year Mathis sent a series of texts to a local Black pastor, the Rev. Walter Pendleton, when he requested information about prosecution rates by ethnicity. According to Pendleton Mathis responded by stating he was “too stupid” to understand the term “selective prosecution.” In addition Mathis stated “My hounds ain’t even started yet, dumb a–. …Keep talking. When I talk people will listen. Keep talking and I will sue your a– for slander. It works both ways. ‘Dr.’ Take your fake Dr. A– and jump off a high cliff.”
Pendleton interpreted this message as a threat to use law enforcement against him stating “What do hounds do? They hunt.”
Mathis admitted that he did, in fact, send those messages stating, “Those statements were made by me in anger, but I stand behind them.”
