Monkey sounds, slurs and strobe lights target a Black family — but police say they’re powerless to stop it

And Berlucchi said that while some of his colleagues have publicly denounced the alleged actions of the neighbor, others have not.

“[Black people] should feel safe in every neighborhood,” he added. “We really need to make sure that everyone knows that the city won’t stand for this, and I’m committed to that.”

Berlucchi said police have received a verbal agreement from the neighbor that the noise activity will stop, but Martinez says other harassment continues.

Other neighbors have also come to Martinez’s defense. Nine complaints have been filed against the neighbor, mostly for noise violations and parking complaints, according to WAVY News. So far, however, the neighbor has not been charged with a crime.

Virginia Beach, a coastal city in southeastern Virginia, is home to nearly 500,000 people. About 66 percent of its residents are white, while 19 percent are Black. Two of the 11 City Council members are Black, although the city has traditionally been dominated by white politicians. Virginia Beach also has a history of racial unrest, including a riot in 1989 that damaged scores of businesses

Martinez credits her 11 years of military experience in helping her keep her cool in the ongoing confrontation with her neighbor.

Virginia Beach, Virginia: Scores of police in riot gear prepare to move down Pacific Avenue, (September 4th), during the 2nd night of disturbances by students.
Police in riot gear prepare to move down Pacific Avenue in Virginia Beach, Va., on Sept. 4, 1989. (Getty Images)

“The calmness and levelheadedness has been embedded with me through my military career,” she said. “You are constantly being tried and tested and you have to maintain your military bearing. … I [also] worked really hard to get where I am, and I can’t let one person who is a coward get the best of me.”

Martinez says her immediate community and family have been supportive in helping her navigate this ordeal, but she maintains that something needs to change.

“Police could have done more … but they have a choice not to,” she said. “The issue is really what the law will enforce and what it won’t.

“I feel like racism is not an issue in this country because it doesn’t affect white people,” she added. “It affects us in a country that was never for us.”

Cover thumbnail photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: Eric Baradat/AFP via Getty Images, Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

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