A Florida man has been arrested for brandishing a gun and shouting racist slurs at a Black homeowner, in a June 14 incident caught on video. According to a report by WSVN, 58-year-old Joseph Fucheck accused Dwayne Wynn of stealing from his own mailbox. Authorities have charged him with aggravated assault with a firearm with prejudice, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, but prosecutors are also investigating this as a hate crime.
Fucheck reportedly pulled up to Wynn’s home in a red Jeep and put something into his mailbox, while Wynn was standing across the street speaking to a neighbor. He walked over to check what the delivery was, and Fucheck came back with a gun in his hand, not believing that Wynn was on his own property. During the altercation that followed, Fucheck repeatedly bragged about his military credentials — which have not been verified. Prosecutors soon discovered that has a lengthy criminal history and is a convicted felon.
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“If it was your property, why didn’t you come over there? If it was your property, why didn’t you come over there?” Fucheck said disbelievingly. The hand-delivered note was reportedly an offer to buy homes for cash. When Wynn asked why Fucheck was carrying a gun, the outrage began.
“You’re damn right I carry a [expletive] gun!” Fucheck reportedly said. “Damn right I’m going to carry a gun because I’m a 35-year Navy SEAL, and I was the head of the SWAT Team in Hillsborough County. That’s right! Go look at my Purple Heart and take my tags.”
Wynn responded: “Is this Hillsborough County?” to which Fucheck replied: “Run my tag! Run my tag if you know it all. I’ll find out if that’s your property right now.” Wynn urged him: “Find out! Find out!”
Thankfully, Fucheck returned to his car, though he shouted racist slurs all along the way. Wynn called out in disbelief as Fucheck drove away, and Fucheck responded: “That’s right. That’s what you are.”
Fucheck was arrested on Tuesday and brought to court on Wednesday, where he told a judge that he is “not physically fit to stay in jail.” The judge ordered him to remain in jail at least until Monday when his bond hearing is scheduled. Prosecutors made the case that Fucheck was motivated by racism alone in the violent encounter.
“He just, he really just lashes out at Mr. Wynn,” said Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle. “There was no provocation. It’s going to be an enhanced penalty of a hate crime because clearly that all those violent acts were caused by that person’s racism.” She added that Fucheck could face up to 15 years in prison if found guilty.
