Photo Courtesy of the U.S. Department of Justice/WXYZ
A white Michigan man has pleaded guilty to hitting a black teen in the face with a bike lock. He also admitted that he assaulted him because he was black. According to the Detroit Free Press, Lee Mouat told the teen that black people weren’t allowed at the beach he attended and that “Black lives don’t matter,” before the attack.
Now Mouat is facing a federal hate crime for the senseless act of violence he caused on June 6, 2020. Allegedly, Mouat walked up to a group of black teenagers at a state park in Monroe County, Michigan, and was upset about the music they played. Witnesses heard Mouat yell, “This is my beach, n****r!
After spewing racial slurs at the group, Mouat then hit one of them with a “bike lock,” according to WXYZ, and knocked several of his teeth out in the process. The victim also had cuts on his face and suffered a fractured jaw, but Mouat didn’t stop there.
The 42-year-old man also tried to assault another teenager but missed. In Mouat’s plea agreement, he
copped to everything, including the racial language he used with the victims prior to the attack. This means that Mouat’s actions were 100% motivated by race, putting him in a tough position legally.According to the Detroit Free Times, the FBI’s Detroit division investigated the case. “Mouat’s hateful and violent conduct, motivated by racial intolerance, was intended to physically harm the victim as well as create fear within the African-American community,” a special agent said.
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They also commented on whether Mouat committed a hate crime, saying “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to ensure that if a crime is motivated by bias, it will be investigated as a hate crime and the perpetrators will be held responsible for their actions.
Mouat will face sentencing on June 24 and faces 10 years in prison, along with a $250,000 fine.