Prosecutors for the Contra Costa District Attorney’s office filed felony assault and hate crime charges against two men accused of beating and cutting the hair of a Sikh man they confronted at a traffic light in Richmond.
Charges have been filed against Chase Little and Colton Leblanc, both from Texas, in connection with the Sept. 25 assault on Maan Singh Khalsa of Richmond. Little is from Beaumont, Texas while Leblanc hails from Winnie, police said.
Investigators have determined that Little and Leblanc were in a pickup truck with three other men the night of the 25th, and that the men threw beer cans at Khalsa’s car while stopped at a light on Hilltop Road. The assault continued at a subsequent stop light, according to police, with two men jumping from the pickup and attacking Khalsa – beating him and using a knife to cut his hair, worn unshorn and under a turban in accordance with Khalsa’s faith.
Police said Khalsa suffered a swollen black eye, several damaged teeth, and several knife wounds to his left hand. A penetrating knife wound cause nerve damage, according to investigators, and required stitches. An infection may result in amputation of the finger at the first knuckle.
According to a release issued by the district attorney’s office Friday, it was determined that Khalsa’s race/ethnicity, religion and nationality was a “substantial factor” in the assault.
Little was arrested but is currently out on bail, police said, with a pending court date on Nov. 21. A bench warrant was issued for the Leblanc’s arrest.
The stereotype of the Texas pickup bigot lives on.
Pride of the Lone Star State.
Plenty more where those came from. Redneck terrorists arrested in the heartland today in “Garden City” Kansas. They were from “Liberal” Kansas. These guys had a manifesto. That means at least one of them could rite. I wonder who they will vote for for President.