JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The man seen in a viral video using racial slurs and making threats toward a Black woman in Jacksonville has been identified as 68-year-old Terry Akers.
Akers now faces three misdemeanor charges that include simple assault, battery, and making verbal threats, following his arrest Thursday. He bonded out of custody shortly after his arrest.
The video, recorded Monday in Jacksonville’s San Jose neighborhood, has been seen more than one million times across social media platforms.
Tynika Munn, known to many as Ty, is the woman behind the camera in that video. She spoke to News4JAX Reporter Ashley French on Thursday and says the charges against Akers feel insufficient.
“I just don’t think it’s right. I don’t think it is fair,” Munn said.
Munn says the incident began when she pulled into Akers’ driveway to pick up a friend, invited by the woman she was there to get. She says Akers never approached her to ask her to move. Instead, she says he escalated immediately.
“The man actually got into his car, revved it up, and forced me to back out of the driveway. Then he parks to the side and approaches me,” Munn said.
Munn says she called 911 during the encounter and waited nearly 40 minutes for officers to arrive. She says no one ever showed up.
“I reached out at about seven o’clock, and they said they were going to send an officer to my address,” Munn said. “I sat at home and waited for them to come. They never came.”
In an email response to News4JAX, a JSO spokesperson wrote:
“An officer did respond to the call, contacted Ms. Munn, and Ms. Munn advised she had left the home to run an errand and would call back when she returned to the home to report the incident. I do not see that a return call was made later in the day.”
Munn disputes that account. After the video went viral, JSO says it became aware of the incident and launched an investigation. Officers interviewed Munn on Thursday morning, three days after the incident — and Akers was arrested later that Thursday, July 23rd.
JSO also confirmed it had prior contact with Akers on several separate occasions, none of which resulted in an arrest.
Akers bonded out of custody on a $1,300 bond. His next court date has not yet been set.
Munn says the three misdemeanor charges don’t go far enough, and believes the incident should be considered a hate crime.
“He got three charges that mean nothing — just for him to go back and do the same, repeat the same character,” Munn said. “That’s a combination where it should have been taken into higher consideration for an enhancement of a hate crime.”
News4JAX reached out to Gene Nichols, an attorney with Nichols and Pina law firm — who is not associated with this case but gave his perspective on the charges and what the State Attorney’s Office could do next.
“What I see here is a crime that was committed — figuring out from a defense standpoint why,” Nichols said. “And that will dictate a little bit about whether or not they try and enhance under the hate crime statute.”
Nichols offered this advice to Munn directly.
“If I was speaking to her, I would tell her — be patient. Give them the chance to do their job. But it’s going to take some time.”
JSO says its investigation has concluded with Akers’ arrest. The case now moves to the State Attorney’s Office, which will determine whether any charges are enhanced or additional charges are filed.
Akers’ next court date has not yet been scheduled. News4JAX will continue to follow this case.