Black Long Island Homeowner, George Grier, Faces Charges After Firing on Group of Hispanic Men on His Front Lawn

George Grier, 30, is facing some serious charges -- reckless endangerment and weapons possession charges. The Nassau county man, who is black, reportedly grabbed a rifle from his house and fired warning shots in a confrontation with a group of Hispanic men on his lawn. According to CBS New York, his family said he was defending his home. This is an eerie throwback a similar incident involving another black man -- John White, who shot a white teenager in his driveway in 2006 in an altercation with his son, in which racial epithets were spewed by the group of teens. White said his pistol went off accidentally.

According to CBS New York, Grier fired rounds into the ground and air from an assault-style rifle after arguing with a large group of men gathered outside his Long Island home Sunday evening, Nassau County police said. No one was hurt. He reportedly fear for the safety of his wife and two small children, according to his sister Caprice Rines. She said about 20 men converged on his Uniondale lawn after two of them began quarreling. He didn’t know the men, who ignored his requests to leave and kept approaching the house, she said.

I don't know the circumstances surrounding this incident, but I will ask the same question as I posed in the incident of John White. Why didn't Mr. Grier just called the police instead of taking matters into his own hands? Like Mr. Grier, I would also be unnerved if a group of 20 men were milling around in my front yard.

UPDATE#1:  Mr. Grier said he got his AK-47 rifle to stop what he thought was going to be an invasion of his Uniondale home by a gang he thought might have been the vicious “MS-13.” He also said he was threatened by five men who dared him to fire his gun. On that basis, I believe he was protecting his home and family.