Press release from the Asheville Police Department:
On June 30 and July 16, employees at both Walmart locations in south Asheville reported incidents to the Asheville Police Department (APD) involving a customer communicating threats to staff and in one case, assaulting a staff member.
The suspect in both cases was identified as James Lawrence Owensby, 43, of Asheville.
On Friday, July 17, Asheville Police Department detectives located and arrested Owensby on charges of simple assault, two counts of communicating a threat and ethnic intimidation.
The investigation into these matters is ongoing and is centered on the fact that both incidents may have involved actions that were motivated by racial bias. The State of North Carolina has in its general statutes two provisions for prosecuting crimes motivated by bias.
The APD has been in communication with the Office of the District Attorney in this case for legal assistance while investigating the two incidents involving Owensby.
If anyone has information on either of these incidents, they are encouraged to call 828-252-1110.
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