Okay, DUmmies, let's assume that the story in fact is true. It's not, but just for the sake of discussion...
WHY would a person be afraid of a black man? I know you might not feel comfortable with the statement, but crime, particularly violent crime, is more prevalent in the black community. Only in poor white communities will you see anything even coming close to the levels seen in places like DC, Detroit, NYC, Boston, etc...
Again, not saying that all black people are criminals, but when you have a culturally accepted norm that "snitches get stitches" what would you expect criminals to do, knowing they won't be turned in?