BELLINGHAM, Wash. — Four teenagers are facing potential hate crime charges after their alleged actions in Bellingham on Friday.
Bellingham Police say that the teens, aged 14 to 17, are believed to have approached a man near the Granary Building. Police say the teens then began to ‘whip him with their t-shirts’ and use ‘homophobic slurs and racial slurs’ at the 26-year-old man.
“It should not be easy to spew that kind of hate even at a young age,” says Lt. Claudia Murphy. “To have 14-year-olds espouse hate and to back that up with physical confrontation….is very concerning for someone who’s that young.”
Lt. Murphy says the alleged crimes didn’t end there. She says the teens continued to follow the man down the street, and at one point picked up rocks and began to throw them at him. Police say the man had injuries on his head and elbow consistent with having rocks thrown.
After the man returned home, police say he called two friends, who confronted the teens.
Officers say the teens used more slurs when speaking to the victim’s friends and then are alleged to have threatened to stab or shoot them.
“That’s what crosses it over to the hate crime. Calling someone a bad name, while abhorrent, is not a crime in and of itself. There has to be either physical harm, the threat of physical harm, or property damage,” says Lt. Murphy.
Police arrested the teens. It’s now up to the Whatcom County Prosecutors Office whether to file hate crime charges against them.
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