Stand Ground: Does This Black Man Have Right To Shoot Barber Because He Felt Threatened?

Customer Arthur Hill and barber Larry Thomas

South Carolina barber arrested after pulling a gun, telling a customer he 'doesn't cut black hair'

Jen Hayden

South Carolina barber Larry Thomas is facing charges of “pointing and presenting firearms at a person” after refusing to serve a black man, Arthur Hill, who came into his shop for a shave:

"He said, 'I don't do black hair,'" Hill recalled. "I asked him does he shave, can he shave me, and he said, 'I don't do black hair.'"

Hill says he had never been to the barbershop in the 2100 block of Celanese Road before. However, he says he was pressed for time and needed a shave before work.

Arthur Hill asked him to clarify:

"I  said, 'Are you referring to African American hair?' He said, 'Yeah,' and at the time I noticed he already had his hand gripped on a .38 snub nose chrome revolver."

Needless to say, Arthur Hill left and called the police. Larry Thomas only spent one night in jail and was back at his shop the next day, providing a ridiculous excuse for why he grabbed his gun:

"I felt threatened," he said.

Threatened? By a customer wanting a service he provides? This isn’t the first time Larry Thomas has refused black customers. Other residents have come forward with their own stories. See interviews with both men in this report from WCNC: