A Pharr city commissioner who defended the man who yelled a racial slur while wielding a chainsaw at Black Lives Matter protesters in McAllen has largely been silent since being approached for comment.
On Sunday, Place 5 City Commissioner Ricardo Medina took to Facebook and commented on the video of the chainsaw-wielding man in question, saying, “He should be a hero!”
Medina’s comment has since drawn backlash from many throughout the community and larger Rio Grande Valley, spawning a change.org petition calling for answers from Medina. As of press time, that petition has garnered 210 signatures.
Some who have reacted to Medina’s remarks are also calling for him to step down from his commission post.
Although Medina has not responded to requests for comment from The Monitor, he did issue this statement to KRGV: “I reacted to what I thought was the business owner protecting his property. I have now fully watched the video in question and I am truly sorry for the oversight. I am against violence, racist remarks or any such action.”
The man who wielded the chainsaw in the video, Daniel Peña, 44, was arrested by McAllen police on Friday and charged with four counts of deadly conduct and one count of assault, class A misdemeanors. He’s since been released on $17,000 bond.
