Hate Crime Charges Considered Against Man, 80, For Racial Slurs In Parking Lot Fight
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA/AP) — Police in Southern California are investigating a parking lot fight as a hate crime after video on social media showed a white man hurling racial slurs at a black woman.
Enrique Conde of Los Angeles posted the video on Twitter, saying Tuesday's spat was sparked by a bad parking job at Santa Monica College, just west of Los Angeles.
The video shows an older man repeatedly screaming the slur at the woman and telling her to "go back to South LA."
"Right away, you hear expletives," Conde says, "right away, racial slurs and expletives."
The woman appears to swing at the man, and he appears to kick her. They are shown throwing fists and kicking eash other.
The man, identified by college police as 80-year-old Frederic Shinerock of Los Angeles, was cited on suspicion of battery and released. Prosecutors will consider further action.
Shinerock refused to respond when CBS2's Tom Wait knocked on his door Wednesday night.
A statement released by Santa Monica College read in part: "We will take immediate and evident action to reinforce to our students, college community, and guests that there is no room for hate at Santa Monica College."
CBS2's Amy Johnson showed the video to students who found it disturbing on many levels.
"It was very disturbing to see," said student Jermaine Cungious, "that this racial tension is still going on in LA, Santa Monica."
LA resident Chelsea Barr went a step further.
"It's sad and I think people are really ignorant," Barr said, "And it's inappropriate. Obviously, I didn't see the beginning of what happened but there is no need for name-calling. But people automatically go for the throat to get a reaction."
Witnesses said the man threw the first swing but after review of the video it appears the woman may have hit the man first.
(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
