Philadelphia

A Philadelphia man was sentenced to 6-12 months in prison for participating in a hostile rental dispute in 2022 that pitted a housing activist against a property owner and his family.

This is just a woman defending herself from a hostile and belligerent landlord.

"It all started on Feb. 4, 2022 — the day Nkrumah-Ture’s new landlord, Alvan Morrison, left a notice that told her she had 30 days to move out of the four-bedroom property. The notice, stuck in her front door, also said Morrison would be moving in, and that Nkrumah-Ture, then 64, would be “considered a housemate” until she left, according to a civil complaint filed against Morrison.

Two days later, Morrison showed up with boxes and told her to get out.

“I was in fear for my safety because it seemed like they were trying to do an illegal eviction,” said Nkrumah-Ture on the stand.

Morrison returned the following day with a group of people, including Terry, his brother. Nkrumah-Ture said Terry yelled and screamed at her from the sidewalk in front of the house. She said she also pushed a couch against her locked front door because Terry was “rattling” it, and “we didn’t want him to burst in.”

The police were called, but the harassment continued and escalated after officers left, said Nkrumah-Ture. She said Terry later tossed some of her belongings outside and taunted her and her friends after a padlock was placed on her bedroom door, locking them inside until police freed them.

Both actions were captured on cell phone video played during Monday’s trial.

“Y’all want to play, we can play too,” Terry can be heard saying on the footage.

Nkrumah-Ture said Terry also blew marijuana smoke in her face and called her and her friends derogatory names. At one point, she saw a gun sitting on the living floor. She said Terry announced at one point that “we’re licensed to carry” and threatened to “start shooting people.” "