This should be charged as a hate crime, no?
A 61-year-old white man in Clarksville, Tennessee named Steven Andrew Russell has been arrested and charged with multiple felonies according to ClarksvilleNow. Russell was charged with attempted murder, tampering with evidence, and theft of property. Oh, he also threatened to murder a detective. Oh, and he’s a racist. Allow us to explain.
Back in August, police were already responding to the scene when another call came in from Russell himself who wanted to inform them that he had just shot and killed his Black neighbor. Fortunately, the unnamed Black neighbor survived the multiple .22-caliber gunshots that Russell pumped into him after using racial slurs to antagonize him. Investigators discovered that the two men have had a long history of racial tension and the latest altercation was essentially the grand finale. When police arrived they found a shotgun that was reported stolen but they were unable to find the weapon Russell used because had thrown it down a storm drain.
Russell told police that he shot his neighbor because he “feared for his life” after being hit upside the head with a cane during their confrontation. He also told detectives that he was happy he had done it and he hoped the neighbor dies all while calling him “racist names”. Upon being informed that the Black man would not be dying, Russell told authorities that he would “kill him again” by “shooting him between the eyes”.
When told he would be charged for tampering with evidence Russell then threatened to murder the detective.
Prison. Forever.