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Charleston police arrested on Tuesday night an East End man who allegedly spray painted “Black Lives Matter” on the Clay Center the previous night.
Detectives arrested Ray Hensley Jr., 36, for destruction of property, according to a criminal complaint filed in Kanawha County Magistrate Court. Hensley, who is white, also was charged with obstructing, two counts of shoplifting, and trespassing, according to a news release.
Sgt. J.A. Hunt said, in a news release, that police expect to file more charges “once a more detailed examination” of other graffiti sites is completed.
Police had said, in a news release earlier Tuesday, that they found graffiti on both the Clay Center, at 1 Clay Square, and Fox’s Pizza, on Ruffner Avenue, near Smith Street. The graffiti appeared to match in paint color and was similar in writing style, police had said.
Police received a tip that Hensley had “Black Lives Matter” spray painted on a cardboard sign on the front porch of his Dixie Street apartment, according to a criminal complaint. Police wrote in the complaint that the slogan on the sign was also written in the same writing style.
Detective W. Anderson wrote, in the complaint, that “Black Lives Matter” found several weeks ago on a billboard at the intersection of Slack Street and Piedmont Road had “what appeared to be” the initials RHJ written on the bottom and was also written in a similar style.
Police had reviewed video surveillance from the Clay Center. Police said, in the complaint, that Hensley was wearing black and white shoes, similar to those of the person in the surveillance video.
“While driving to the station I asked if Mr. Hensley if he was aware of why we would want to speak with him and he nodded his head yes,” Anderson wrote. “I explained that this was not a major crime but we did want to know why these locations were damaged. I told him that he was captured on video spray painting the side of the Clay Center and he nodded his head in agreement. I asked if he was aware of the cameras in the area and he said that he was not.
“I then asked if he was responsible for the spray painting incidents several weeks ago and he said he would exercise his fifth amendment right on that question. I asked if I should be looking for someone else in relation to those crimes or would I be wasting my time doing so? Mr. Hensley said that I would be wasting my time and that he would not let someone else take the blame for him.”
“While at the station Mr. Hensley was read his Miranda rights [CPD form 145] and initialed the form. He wrote his initials as RHJ on the form.”
Destruction of property, a misdemeanor, is punishable by a fine of not more than $500, confinement in a regional jail for not more than one year, or both.
Charleston police could not be reached for more information Tuesday night.
Reach Erin Beck at erin.beck@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-5163, Facebook.com/erinbeckwv, or follow @erinbeckwv on Twitter.
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