Threat To Business Owner Behind Anti-BLM Post Leads To Arrest: PD

NAUGATUCK, CT — Naugatuck business owner Edward Hughes is facing backlash and calls for boycott over his Facebook comment "#Fu*kblacklivesmatter" — but for one of his detractors, the backlash crossed a line to threats, according to police

Zeonna Small, 27, of Waterbury, was arrested Monday after she threatened to destroy Hughe's personal property, which included a business, according to police. She was charged with second-degree threatening and was released on a $10,000 bond.

Hughes owns The Bomb Bay Cafe and Edible Dreams Cakes bakery in Naugatuck. At some point late last month, he posted an anti-Black Lives Matter comment on a Facebook share of a June 19 Fox News story; the post reported on the criminal case of rapper Christopher Jerrod Dooley Jr. — best known as Hurricane Chris — who is facing a second-degree murder charge in Louisiana.

Hughes' comment read in full: "What a great roll [sic] model for young men. #Fu*kblacklivesmatter."

The Fox News story on which Hughes left his comment does not mention Black Lives Matter.

Hughes addressed his comment in another Facebook post on June 24, which is one day after police were notified about the alleged threat.

"I wrote what I wrote because I am sick of the street violence taking the lives of children, teenagers and innocent people and it’s just collateral damage," he began, citing gun violence in Chicago. He shared his view that the media did not show Black Lives Matter protesters "supporting the families that are putting their children in the ground."

"I posted that because I was pissed that a rapper, a roll [sic] model for young men and woman , who supported BLM was charged with Murder. That to me isn’t a good look for BLM," he wrote.

In the post, Hughes denied that he is a racist and wrote that he'd received threats against himself, his family and his business. Later in the post, he wrote that he supported those in the Black Lives Matter movement who are "using this movement in the proper way."

Hughes concluded the post by saying the police officers "with blood on their hands" should be held responsible, but he doesn't support protesters' use of anti-police chants.

He ended the statement:

"I apologize to the BLM who are trying to do the right thing. I do wish the media would show all the positive things coming from this movement and not showcase the evil people in it for the wrong reason," he wrote.

Last week, Hughes became the subject of a Change.org petition calling for his businesses to be shut down. The petition was started by West Haven resident Maehand Mack, who told the Citizen's News that he saw the business owner's comment as racist.

"You got to understand, you got to be accountable for what you say,” Mack said. "You got to be accountable for what you post. A lot of people are losing their jobs over what they post."

Mack later received an email from Change.org stating his petition had been identified as bullying and deleted, the Citizen's News reported.