Police: No Charges In Racial Clash At Cobb County Publix

MARIETTA, GA — Cobb County police said no charges will be filed against the black metro Atlanta lawmaker or the white man whose racial clash over the weekend made national headlines. Both state Rep. Erica Thomas (D-Austell) and Eric Sparkes "were provided information on how to contact the Cobb County Magistrate's Office if either wished to pursue any further criminal action."

The brouhaha began on July 19 when Thomas recorded a tearful, emotional Facebook Live video where she said a man called her "a lazy son of a [expletive]" and told her to "go back where she came from." Thomas said Sparkes made the comment to her while standing in an express Publix checkout line where she had too many items. On Saturday, Thomas was being interviewed by a local TV station outside the Publix when Sparkes showed up. Thomas and Sparkes got into another argument in front of the TV crew, with Sparkes denying he said Thomas should "go back where she came from."

Sparkes did admit cursing at Thomas for having too many items in her cart, and "I called you a lazy (expletive)," Sparkes said to Thomas. "That's the worst thing I said." Sparkes told Channel 2 he is a Democrat and of Cuban nationality, and said Thomas is just trying to further her political career.

"This woman is playing the victim for political purposes because she is a state legislator," Sparkes said. "I'm a Democrat and will vote Democrat for the rest of my life, so call me whatever you want to believe. For her political purposes, make it black, white, brown, whatever. It is untrue."

On Monday, Thomas backtracked from her original statement that Sparkes told her to go back where she came from. When asked, "So you don't remember exactly what he said?" by a local journalist, Thomas said, "No, no, definitely not. But I know it was 'go back' because I know I told him to 'go back.'"

More: Black Lawmaker: White Man Told Me 'Go Back Where You Came From'

On Monday, Thomas and some of her supporters held a news conference, during which she said she was "embarrassed, and I was scared for my life" during the alleged incident. After the press conference, Sparkes released a statement, in which he said "Ms. Thomas has taken an innocuous situation that began on my part to be about being inconsiderate and turned into a national case about race overnight. Ms. Thomas accuses me of telling her to go back to whereever. Those words were never spoken. She backtracked slightly and now is changing her story. I am in the process of exploring with attorneys a defamation lawsuit against her.”

The confrontation comes as President Donald Trump continues his attack on four liberal Democrat congresswomen collectively known as "the squad." Trump's jabs were aimed at the four freshmen Democrats who have garnered attention since their arrival in January for their outspoken liberal views and distaste for Trump: Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan. All were born in the U.S. except for Omar, who came to the U.S. as a child after fleeing Somalia with her family.