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Police launch hate crime probe after Boston man hurls obscenities at black motorcyclists

BOSTON (WHDH) - Police are investigating whether a Boston man committed a hate crime while screaming obscenities at two black motorcyclists during a rant caught on camera in Dorchester last week, officials said.

An officer blocking traffic at the intersection of Adams and Chelmsford streets following a car crash about 10:30 p.m. Friday intervened when he saw Paul Sheehan screaming at a black man and a black woman who were sitting nearby on parked motorcycles, according to Boston police.

The officer said he heard Sheehan screaming “You (expletive) animals, shooting (expletive) in my neighborhood. I pay a mortgage, get the (expletive) out of my neighborhood. This is my (expletive) neighborhood.”

The motorcyclists said the confrontation, which was recorded by the woman Sheehan was screaming at, occurred after they pulled over because of the detour.

“I looked around like, ‘who is he arguing with,'” the woman, who identified herself as Nene, told 7News. “When he came straight to me, I immediately pulled out my phone.”

Nene said she and her husband were just riding around the city to relax after a long day at work when Sheehan suddenly snapped.

“I literally did nothing wrong,” she said. “Now, I am so cautious as to where I ride my bike.”

After convincing Sheehan to go back into a nearby house, officers said he returned a little more than an hour later, repeatedly screaming “(expletive) that (N-word),” and pulling on a traffic sign that was in the middle of a nearby crime scene.

Sheehan, a Keolis employee, was later placed under arrest on a charge of disorderly conduct.

In a statement, a spokesman for Keolis, said, “As a local employer and a company providing a service to the public, we have absolutely no tolerance for this type of reprehensive conduct or language in or outside the workplace. The matter is under investigation and we don’t comment on personnel matters.”

Sources told 7’s Justin Dougherty that the company is in the process of removing Sheehan from service.

“People should be able to walk, drive and just be at peace together at once,” Nene added.

Detectives assigned to the Boston Police Department’s Civil Rights Unit are currently investigating to determine if other charges are appropriate. Investigators say they’re also attempting to make contact with the victims.