Riot Killing Called Not a Hate Crime
A black youth accused of assaulting a white man during Seattle’s Feb. 27 Mardi Gras riot will not be charged with a hate crime.
King County prosecutor Norm Maleng said that Khalid Adams’ statement that he “most likely” kicked the man because he was white was not enough for a hate-crime prosecution.
Adams, 17, was charged with joining a group of young men who were kicking the man on the ground.
Prosecutors would have had to show that he joined the melee intending to target a white victim. Instead, Maleng said, it appeared Adams just got caught up in the violence.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
