Court documents show a Colorado man is facing possible bias-motivated charges for allegedly attacking a television news reporter after demanding to know whether he was a citizen, saying “This is Trump’s America now."
After arriving in Grand Junction, Egan, who was driving a taxi, pulled up next to Alex at a stoplight and, according to an arrest affidavit, said something to the effect of: “Are you even a U.S. citizen? This is Trump’s America now! I’m a Marine and I took an oath to protect this country from people like you!”
Alex, who had been out reporting, then drove back to his news station in the city. After he got out of his vehicle, Egan chased Alex as he ran toward the station’s door and demanded to see his identification, according to the document laying out police’s evidence in the case. Egan then tackled Alex, put him in a headlock and “began to strangle him,” the affidavit said. Coworkers who ran out to help and witnesses told police that Alex appeared to be losing his ability to breathe during the attack, which was partially captured on surveillance video, according to the document.
Bias-motivated? This is the first time I’ve heard that term used. Why isn’t it just called a hate crime? It appears to be one since the perpetrator was targeting the reporter either because he’s a Pacific Islander American or that he’s a journalist, an “enemy of the people” in Trump’s America.
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Bias-motivated? This is the first time I’ve heard that term used. Why isn’t it just called a hate crime? It appears to be one since the perpetrator was targeting the reporter either because he’s a Pacific Islander American or that he’s a journalist, an “enemy of the people” in Trump’s America.
Because “it’s Trump’s America now”… 😐
Don’t catch you slippin’ now
TIL, along the context
This isn’t a hate crime, it’s terrorism, since it was politically motivated.
this one would be both.
terst = political, but also targeting a protected individual or building
Presumably that’s just how Colorado laws defines it.