Sunday, September 27, 2009

Hate Attack on Disabled Man

Two Minneapolis men were accused of a hate attack that was allegedly racially motivated. The two men attacked a disabled man and were charged with two felonies and two misdemeanors Friday. (WCCO)

Police said Anthony Peter Kipela and Bryan Charles Westerlund beat up a black teenagers early Wednesday morning, while forcing him to strip  and even threatening him with an ax.

The victim, Derrick Thomas, told police the two men robbed pushed him off his bike, robbed him and beat him while using racial slurs. Police said Thomas, 18, is disabled and has the mentally of an 8 to 10-year-old.

"They were saying stuff like, 'We hate the president; we're gonna kill the president, his wife and his kids,'" Thomas recalled from his front stoop Friday, his left eye puffy and discolored. "They said every black person that comes through our park, we're gonna kick their butt. We don't like black people, period." (StarTribune)

This assault and another one just a few blocks away caused officials to file assault and robbery charges against both Kilpela and Westerlund. Both men are 21-years-old and white. (StarTribune)

The story was covered very well in the StarTribune then WCCO site. Of course, I feel that since the StarTribune is a online publication that it will have more details, but WCCO had just the general information. It didn't even have the victim's name or an image of the suspects.

The StarTribune reported that the Secret Service was also conducting an investigation in the case due to the suspects alleged threat to President Obama.

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