No hate crime charges for suspects in St. Louis beating

Source: CNN


CNN)—There will be no hate crime charges for two males arrested in the beating of a man that may have been sparked by a question about the 2014 shooting of Michael Brown.

St. Louis police have charged Ronald Williams, 21, with assault. A 15-year-old has also been arrested, according to authorities.


There had been speculation that the suspects might be charged with a hate crime because the victim was white and the people who attacked him were black. And because the punches were thrown following the Michael Brown reference.

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"Specifically, when put in context, it did not support the finding that the acts in this case met the elements of the hate crime statute in the state of Missouri, specifically proving the motivating factor behind the individual that we have charged, Ed Postawko with the St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office told CNN affilaite KMOV.


Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/01/us/st-louis-metrolink-beating-arrests/