Man indicted for hate crime against cab driver
Apr 2, 2013, 2:59 PM | Updated: 3:41 pm
A federal grand jury has indicted a Seattle man on charges that he assaulted a cab driver because of his race.
Jamie Larson, 49, will stand trial for a federal hate crime. He is charged with one count of violating the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act.
The Department of Justice says he assaulted a 50-year-old Sikh cab driver on Oct. 17, 2012, because of the victim’s “actual and perceived race, color and national origin.”
“Attacks such as this one, based on prejudice and racial hate, are contrary to who we are and violate the law,” said U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. “Protecting the civil rights of all the members of our community is a top priority for our office.”
Larson was arrested at the scene of the attack after a witness called 911.
If convicted, he faces a statuary maximum of 10 years behind bars.
