A row over race has erupted in a quiet neighbourhood after a white man called the police on black girl who was looking for bugs.
Bobbi Wilson, 9, was walking the streets near her home spraying a homemade anti-bug spray on trees in Caldwell, New Jersey, when a neighbour alerted police.
The child was trying to protect her local trees against lanternflies which can cause significant damage to trees and other plants.
Bobbi had found the environmentally safe recipe on TikTok after learning about the damaging insects at school.
Gordon Lawsher a former Republican official, is said to have told police: "I don't know what the hell she's doing. Scares me though."
In a recording of the police call which was obtained by Pix11, the 71-year-old, described Bobbi as "a little Black woman".
He added: “Real tiny. She’s got a hood on. Uhh…you can’t miss her.”
Police attended and spoke briefly to the girl, her mum and Mr Lawshe.
Bobbi's mum Monique Joseph called out his actions as racism, whether intended or not, as a Caldwell Borough Council meeting.
She said: “I am not here to label anyone, only to share my point of view as a Black woman, a Black mother, and a Black resident in this town.
“To bring awareness on racism and implicit bias that we experienced on the very street that we live on.”
According to Ms Jospeh, Bobbi was afraid to go outside the day after the incident.
Caldwell Mayor John Kelley apologised to the family and thanked them for sharing their story.
He later told The Daily Beast that he initially didn’t think racism was an issue in the town.
“But clearly, I was wrong,” he said.
“After reflecting on the story and learning more from the police report, it is clear that a line was crossed. My heart goes out to Monique and her two girls.”
Bizarrely Mr Lawshe, a former councilman, knows the family having lived opposite them for eight year, local media reports.
Bobbi's sister Hayden said: "She was not only doing something amazing for our environment, but she was doing something that made her feel like a hero."
Mum Ms Joseph also said that her daughter spends up to 45 minutes a day looking for and spraying lanternflies, reports The Progress.
The insects are considered invasive species in the US and cause damage to plants by sucking sap, with their waste products encouraging fungal disease.
According to the Natural History Museum, in the US state of Pennsylvania alone if the insect isn't contained, they could cause $324 million (£240 million) each year of damage and cause the loss of 2,800 jobs.
In a statement Lawshe's attorney Greg Mascera said admitted Lawshe did call 911 on Bobbi, but insisted that it wasn't due to racial profiling.
The attorney also called claims that Bobbi was now afraid to go outside "absurd".
He said: "All the cop did was drive by, but the mother's assertion that [her daughter is now] afraid of cops is absurd."
