Police: Dispute between Valley Stream mom, neighbor dates back to 2017, nearly 50 calls made to police

Nassau police provided more information into the viral dispute between a Valley Stream woman and her neighbor, who she claims is racially harassing her.

News 12 Staff

Jul 14, 2020, 9:05 PM

Updated 1,548 days ago

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Nassau police provided more information into the viral dispute between a Valley Stream woman and her neighbor, who she claims is racially harassing her.
As News 12 reported Monday, Jennifer McLeggan, a single mom from Valley Stream, claims she is being harassed by her neighbors in a racially motivated fashion.
McLeggan shared videos that she says show her neighbor walking around with what appears to be a gun, leaning over a fence and spitting in her yard. Another shows a person in what appears to be a face mask walking in front of her home.
On Tuesday, Nassau police say there has been an ongoing dispute between the two dating back to 2017, and that nearly 50 calls have been made to police over the years between both sides.
Police add that despite the volume of calls, there was no violence or racism reported from either side.
Authorities confirmed that the neighbors -- Michael McInerney, 82, his 57-year-old son John and John's girlfriend, Mindy, do have two pellet guns that are used for target practice in their backyard. Police have spoken with Michael McInerney, but are still trying to find John, who is no longer living there.
"At this time we do not have any evidence of bias, but that does not mean that it is not there. We have more work to do," says Nassau Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder.
McLeggan says she is still convinced that the alleged harassment is based on the color of her skin.
"It happened to other people of color that lived here. It happened to another man of color down the block. It happened to the other woman who lived here who was also of color," she says. "He doesn't have any issues with white people in the neighborhood just other people of color."
McLeggan says she put up a sign on the front door days ago, after she says the harassment from her neighbor got out of control.
The sign has graphic details of incidents she says have happened, like human feces being thrown on her property, dead squirrels being buried and a blow torch being taken to her home in the middle of the night.