A white Massachusetts man accused of yelling racial slurs and throwing rocks at a Black man and his daughter while they were fishing at a Lunenburg lake last year faced a judge Tuesday.
David McPartlan of Ayer is charged with assault in the incident that happened on May 26 at Lake Shirley in Lunenburg.
Sherron Brown said he and his 10-year-old daughter were fishing from a boat on Memorial Day when McPartlan confronted them from the shore.
Video taken by Brown shows the man, identified as McPartlan, appearing to say, “Oh yeah, I’m throwing rocks at you, ——,” using a slur for Black people.
McPartlan later told Lunenburg police, “I slipped a word out that maybe I shouldn’t have but I was pissed,” according to a police report, though when asked what word it was, he said, “I’m not going to admit to it.”
He also said he threw rocks around the boat, via the report.
McPartlan was later charged with two counts each of assault with a dangerous weapon and assault to intimidate.
At a hearing Tuesday, a judge revoked a stay he previously issued when McPartlan’s defense indicated it wished to file an appeal, which has still not happened.
The case returns to court Feb. 6 for trial assignment, the judge said.
Last year, Brown told NBC10 Boston he took his 10-year-old daughter to Shady Point Beach in Lunenburg to enjoy Memorial Day, but it was clear the man on shore wanted them gone.
“His first words were, ‘Don’t fish here next to my dock, go somewhere else. Why are you here?” Brown said.
McPartlan got louder and kept yelling and swearing, according to Brown.
“It seemed like he was trying to establish some kind of invisible boundary where I can’t fish towards his dock, even though that was not my intention anyway. There was at least 65 feet between us, which is a considerable distance,” Brown said.
He said he had no choice but to all 911 after the man threw rocks at him and his daughter and shouted out the slur.
“I told him, ‘Hey, I’m gonna record this if you’re not gonna stop,” Brown said.
He said his heart aches for his daughter after what she witnessed.
“Never in 1,000 years would you expect to be out doing what you love with the person you love, my daughter, and someone aggressive and yelling out things that are just awful and atrocious,” Brown said.
He said the situation is not typical of what he’s experienced fishing at the location for 15 years.
