Judge finds Seabrook man violated civil rights of a Black man for pointing gasoline nozzle at him

Mar. 29—A Seabrook man will have to pay a $5,000 fine and still faces criminal charges stemming from an exchange with a Black family at a local gas station where authorities say he pointed a nozzle at a man, called him a slur and told him to go back to Africa.

A Rockingham County Superior Court judge levied the fine against John Kenneth Doran, 62, on Friday, ending a civil suit brought by the Attorney General's Office.

In a nine-page order, Judge Marguerite Wageling wrote that prosecutors had proven that Doran violated the state Civil Rights Act. Prosecutors have said that a Maryland man referred to as J.C. and his family were leaving the Seabrook Valero gas station when Doran, beside his motorcycle, uttered racial slurs.

Slurs continued, and as J.C. and his brother-in-law got out of their SUV, Doran pointed a gasoline fuel nozzle at J.C. and his family. Both of Doran's arms were straight as he held the nozzle at shoulder height.

"Get back n--- or I'll f---ing burn you! Go back to Africa," he said, according to a judge's order. Doran's lawyer, Stephen Jeffco of Portsmouth, said the criminal case will still have to go to trial.

"We're disappointed and look forward to pursuing the criminal matter," Jeffco said.

In January, a grand jury indicted Doran on a felony charge of criminal threatening and misdemeanor charges of simple assault and criminal threatening. All three charges allege a hate-crime component, meaning Doran could face an enhanced penalty of at least 10 years on the felony charge.

In his self-defense claim, Doran contends that the driver of the vehicle spat toward him. Doran believed that action was racially motivated. He said he was surrounded by five people, and he was subsequently attacked and injured by three of the individuals. At that point, he started using slurs.

Court filings do indicate that J.C.'s nieces eventually engaged in a fight or some kind of physical conflict with Doran.

Doran testified to the events on March 17 during an evidentiary hearing. Wageling said he had no credibility.

"Not only is it unbelievable, it is contradicted by large majority of the other evidence introduced in this case," she wrote. She said he did not act in self defense. In his filings, Jeffco insisted that J.C. testify in front of a jury.

He also noted that J.C. did not originally provide his real name to police; prosecutors have said that is not an issue because J.C. eventually corrected the matter, and they have no basis to believe he committed a crime.

The judge gave Doran 30 days to pay the fine. He is also forbidden to contact the family or to be closer than 250 feet from them.