SALDEF welcomes the federal hate crime charge brought against a man accused of violently assaulting a Sikh cab driver in Washington state. According to the police report, on October 17, 2012, defendant Jamie W. Larson began attacking the cab driver after asking him why he was wearing a turban. The report indicates that during the assault, Larson pulled out parts of the driver’s beard and punched him repeatedly, leaving him disoriented and with a loose tooth. READ: Man charged with hate crime in brutal assault on Sikh cab driver After learning of this hate crime last year, SALDEF reached out to the Federal Way Police Department to applaud the manner in which the crime was investigated and the police department’s recommendation that the attacker be charged with a hate crime. Subsequently, Larson was charged by the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s office with malicious harassment under Washington’s hate crime statute. READ: SALDEF Applauds Police Action and Prosecuting Attorney’s Hate Crime Prosecution King County prosecutors dismissed those charges in hopes that Larson would get a longer prison term under federal law. This new charge, brought under the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, a federal law that criminalizes attacks based on a person’s actual or perceived race, religion, gender or sexual orientation, in addition to several other factors, carries a significant prison sentence. If convicted, Larson could face ten years in prison. This is the first time that federal hate crime charges have been brought under this act for a hate crime in which the victim was Sikh. “We are pleased to learn that charges have been brought under the federal hate crimes act against the attacker in this brutal crime. This hate crime has impacted not only the victim, but the entire Sikh American community and we look forward to seeing the attacker brought to justice” said SALDEF Executive Director, Jasjit Singh. Through outreach with the FWPD, SALDEF has provided Sikh awareness materials to the local police department as well as to the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission – the law enforcement group that educates and trains all officers in the state of Washington. SALDEF urges all Sikh Americans to immediately report any incidents of harassment, bullying or assault to SALDEF and your local authorities. If you or someone you know has been a victim of any racially motivated crime, please contact SALDEF directly at 202.393.2700 or via our Report an Incident Form.
