GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Todd Jamison, 26, is facing three charges after he confessed to making threatening phone calls containing racial slurs at Brown-Hutcherson Ministries and Brown's Funeral Home.
Grand Rapids Police were called to investigate the voicemails and emails left for both of the organizations on Jefferson Avenue. Police were called on Thursday morning, Nov. 15 after the threats were discovered.
During the investigation, police learned that on Wednesday, Nov. 14 two people were trespassing under the awning of the Brown's Funeral Home porch and were asked to leave by a staff member at the funeral home. Not long after both of the individuals left, the funeral home starting to receive "threatening phone messages laced with racial slurs," according to police.
The messages continued until Thursday morning.
Brown-Hutcherson Ministries is described a multicultural church, and it is led by Rev. Nathaniel Moody, a black pastor and Grand Rapids City Commissioner.
"There was a lot of things that were said in reference to killing, shooting and destroying us as a race of people," said Moody. "Anger was in the voice. Racial slurs. It bothered us tremendously."
Moody said after discovering the messages, the church and funeral home called the police immediately.
"We wanted them to hear the voice. We wanted them to hear what was being said because when you hear those kinds of things on the telephone, what happens is it causes a lot of emotions to sprout up," he said. "And we as a race of people have gone through a lot in this country when it comes to that kind of rhetoric."
Detectives were able to identify the person behind the calls and emails as Jamison, a Grand Rapids resident. He was arrested on Thursday afternoon and confessed to making the calls and sending the emails.
"The Grand Rapids Police department did a tremendous job," said Moody. "They did what I felt was an impeccable job. They took immediate action and found the perpetrator."
The Kent County Prosecutor's Office issued three charges against Jamison, including ethnic intimidation, which is a felony charge, stalking and using a telephone to intimidate and harass.
An ethnic intimidation charge, more commonly known as a hate crime, is punishable by up to two years in prison. On Nov. 13, the FBI released their annual report on hate crimes in the United States, which indicated that hate crimes spiked nearly 17 percent in 2017.
Moody said that he and his congregation feel no hatred toward Jamison at all. "We just are concerned at the fact that what he had said could inspire others to act," he said. "The power of suggestion is very powerful."
In 2015, Jamison was arrested for stealing from Cabela's in Grandville. He and three other people returned the items they stole for gift cards, and used part of the proceeds to support their heroin habits. Jamison was sentenced to probation for retail fraud.
Moody said the incident has prompted the church to make sure that they are alert, but it has also brought them together and they are going to continue to hold services.
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@wzzm13.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter.