Racist Convicted: Attacker Who Chased Family With Hammer Guilty Of Hate Crime

DENVER (CBS4) - A 43-year-old man who yelled racial slurs while he chased a family through a Denver park with a hammer has been convicted on hate crime charges. Ryan Austin Lee also assaulted two people who were in a car in a separate racially-motivated Denver case.

The first crime took place in 2017. According to the Denver District Attorney's Office, Lee "wielded a hammer while threatening and chasing a mixed-race family (husband, wife, and seven-year old son) around Garfield Park ... yelling racial epithets." Then in 2018, Lee was yelling slurs again while he walked up to a car and punched the driver and then threw the passenger down and kicked him.

"Hate crimes are criminal expressions of bigotry that terrorize the entire community," said Denver District Attorney Beth McCann. "Mr. Lee shouted racial epithets while attacking the victims which provided the jury with the motive needed to find Lee guilty of a hate crime."

McCann's office said Friday Lee was convicted on bias motivated crime, assault and menacing charges and could spend as much as 15 years in prison. He will be sentenced on May 3.