PALM BAY, Fla. -- A 14-year-old Palm Bay boy could be charged with a hate crime. Police say he attacked a white man just because he was listening to rap music.
The boy beat up the 22-year-old man because he didn't think white people should listen to rap music, police said. The man told WFTV he was listening to “Wasted” by Gucci Mane.
David McKnight did not fight back when 14-year-old Joshuah Lamb punched him in the face repeatedly, investigators said. Battery is the only charge Lamb faces, but he could face felony hate crime charges.
McKnight said he was listening to a CD when he was attacked by the teen. McKnight never thought listening to rap music would trigger a black teenager to beat him up because of the color of his skin and choice of music.
“I feel it's a racial thing really,” McKnight said (watch full interview)
According to Palm Bay Police, Lamb was walking down the sidewalk and heard McKnight’s boom box blaring a rap song.
“The argument involved the black male suspect saying, ‘You shouldn't be listening to rap music because you're white.’ The victim said he can listen to whatever type of music he wanted to and then the fist fight was on,” Palm Bay police spokeswoman Yvonne Martinez said.
“I couldn't get away fast enough, let’s just put it that way. Then one of them spit on me, punched me, knocked me down, got a couple of kicks in from a couple of them,” McKnight said.
McKnight suffered a broken toe, concussion, a swollen eye and strangulation marks around his neck. Police said the 14-year-old was with at least seven of his friends, all of whom were instigating the fight.
“I told him to drop it. I was like, ‘Just drop it, let's go, there is eight of you and one of me. Just drop it.’ And he says, ‘I'm not dropping anything.’ Bam! Punched me,” he described.
Police showed up minutes later and arrested Lamb on battery charges. The State Attorney's Office is in the process of trying to figure out if it can charge the boy with a hate crime. State prosecutors said it could be one to two weeks before they decide if the 14-year-old will be charged with a hate crime charge.
Lamb is being held in the juvenile detention center.
http://www.wftv.com/countybycounty/24421484/detail.html
Wtf, this kid is as ignorant as you can get.. music doesn't have limitations, and it never should.
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