Fifteen supporters of the Confederate battle flag were indicted Monday on street terrorism charges after they were accused of ambushing a black child's birthday party while shouting racial slurs in Douglas County, Ga.
The members of the "Respect the Flag" group had been found guilty of making terrorist threats and violating the state's street gang statute during the July 25 incident, reported the New York Daily News.
Two of the men were also charged with battery for allegedly injuring a man at a gas station.
"We respect the rights of all citizens to exercise their first amendment right, but we're going to require them, while doing that, to respect the rights of all of the citizens, to feel safe," District Attorney Brian Fortner said at a press conference Monday while discussing the charges.
The charges stem from at least two videos, one of which shows the group driving away from the scene. As police separated the party-goers from the trucks, one person could be heard asking police to stay nearby since she doesn't feel safe, while another responded to a remark from one of the flag enthusiasts saying, "that's a threat," according to NPR.
While the contents of the video are concrete and not up for debate, the events leading up to the altercation are a different story.
"Officers on scene were given conflicting statements as to what led up to the confrontation," the Douglasville Police Department said in a statement, according to FOX News.
Respect the Flag member Levi Bush claimed the group was on its way back from a nearby event when it drove through the area, while another member, Kalyla Norton, claimed the party-goers threw objects at the trucks without provocation.
However, people from the party contend the Respect the Flag members targeted them and yelled racial slurs while brandishing guns, tire irons and knives.
Regardless of who sparked the confrontation, Fortner was praised for his swift actions before tensions between the group and community could escalate.
"I applaud the foresight and courage of District Attorney Brian Fortner for nipping this dangerous activity in the bud before innocent citizens were hurt," Morris Dees, the Southern Poverty Law Center's co-founder said.
