Black Arrested After Shooting and Killing White Man Over Property Dispute

Javon Berry

This reminds me of that old joke: What word, which starts with “N” and ends with “R,” do you never want to call a black person?

“Neighbor.”

CBS 5:

A man has been arrested after shooting and killing his neighbor over a property dispute in Buckeye on Monday night.

The suspect, 48-year-old Javon Berry, told Maricopa County Sheriff deputies that he was with his uncle in a truck near Hidden Lake when they were approached by 51-year-old Richard Mladick who was blocking the roadway with his truck. Berry said Mladick left his truck and approached their vehicle, called them racial slurs and stated he was going to kill them.

Court paperwork indicates Berry believed Mladick was going to get a gun from his vehicle so he fired three shots, one towards the victim’s vehicle and two towards Mladick. Berry told MCSO that he was attempting to shoot the victim in the butt or legs and did not intend to kill him.

According to court paperwork, Berry and Mladick had an ongoing conflict with each other over property ownership.

Richard Mladick