Man charged with ethnic intimidation after video shows urination on neighbor's house, bushes

DEARBORN HEIGHTS, Mich. (WJBK) - A Dearborn Heights man is facing hate crime charges after being caught on camera urinating on a neighbor's house. 

Prosecutors say you can see 35-year-old Jason Sherman on video, apparently narrating his actions and yelling racial comments at a neighbor's surveillance camera back on September 16. The Wayne County Prosecutor has charged Sherman with ethnic intimidation and malicious destruction of property.

You can see the surveillance footage in the video player above, courtesy of the Arab American News. 

A man and a woman can be heard repeating " 'Merica," and at one point the man looks into the camera and says, "Listen, this is what we do. You come to America - and we've been here longer than you - so what we do is we pee on your house and on your bushes. That's the reason they're dying by the way."

Sherman's family says the case against him is being blown out of proportion, and that these particular neighbors have been causing problems for years.

Christie Sherman, Jason's sister, says she was having a small get together in her backyard when the urination happened. She's the one who lives at the home on Hubbell Street. 

"Granted, he might've done like, urination in public, but there's no ethic intimidation and there's no destruction of private property. Bushes grow back," she says. She told us multiple families before her were run out of the rental home because of the neighbors, and that other families on the street have had problems with them, too. 

Sherman has a lengthy criminal history and was given a $50,000 bond. He'll have to wear a tether and have no contact with his sister's neighbors. He's due back in court later this month.

The area of Dearborn, Mich., which borders Dearborn Heights, has one of the largest Arab American communities in the country. 

Prosecutor Worthy said, "Wayne County is one of the most diverse counties in the United States and we should have zero tolerance for the actions of those who trample on the rights of its citizens. The alleged actions of this defendant were vulgar and repulsive. We certainly will not and should not accept this type of behavior that emanates from hate."