A man’s racial slur and aggressive actions prompted a single deadly punch, which many consider self-defense. But Anthony Collins pleaded guilty to manslaughter in June and will now spend three years behind bars in a New Jersey state prison. He is required to serve almost 31 months of the sentence before he is eligible for parole under the terms of the No Early Release Act.
The fatal confrontation took place on the afternoon of September 18, 2023 in Seaside Heights, a tiny 16-by-4-block
Collins, 41, and his wife were leaving Babe’s Corner Store on Sumner Avenue when Robert May, 70, approached them on his bicycle. May, who also went by “Frog,” had repeatedly harassed Collins and his children, addressing them with racial slurs for months, said defense attorney Terrence Turnback.
On that afternoon, May rode directly into Collin’s wife after they exited the store, assaulting her with his bike, Collins told Superior Court Judge Guy P. Ryan during his plea.
May then turned to Collins and called him n*****, which drew a single punch to his face that brought him immediately to the ground. May’s fall and the punch knocked him unconscious, and he was later found by first responders lying on the cement, with blood coming from his mouth and head.
The fatal confrontation took place on the afternoon of September 18, 2023 in Seaside Heights, a tiny 16-by-4-block
Collins, 41, and his wife were leaving Babe’s Corner Store on Sumner Avenue when Robert May, 70, approached them on his bicycle. May, who also went by “Frog,” had repeatedly harassed Collins and his children, addressing them with racial slurs for months, said defense attorney Terrence Turnback.
On that afternoon, May rode directly into Collin’s wife after they exited the store, assaulting her with his bike, Collins told Superior Court Judge Guy P. Ryan during his plea.
May then turned to Collins and called him n*****, which drew a single punch to his face that brought him immediately to the ground. May’s fall and the punch knocked him unconscious, and he was later found by first responders lying on the cement, with blood coming from his mouth and head.