Man scrawls ‘KKK’ on a Black woman’s car, now is charged with hate crime, IL cops say
An Illinois man was arrested this week, accused of writing “KKK” on a Black woman’s car during protests in Iowa, media outlets report.
He was later charged with a hate crime in connection with the incident in Waterloo, Iowa, the Associated Press reported.
Gary Eugene Shelton, 54, was arrested in Bloomington, Illinois, and is awaiting extradition to, The Waterloo-Cedar Courier reported.
Waterloo police earlier this month received a report that a vehicle was marked with the letters “KKK” with a waxy substance while it was parked at a hotel, the AP said.
The incident occurred during the nightly protests and demonstrations in Waterloo over the death of George Floyd, a Black man who died May 25 while in the custody of Minneapolis police.
Waterloo police obtained video along with other evidence that led them to Shelton, a department press release said. Shelton was traveling through Waterloo for work at the time the car was vandalized, the AP reported.
Shelton was charged with criminal mischief under Iowa’s hate-crimes statutes, The Courier said. His bond was set at $75,000 and he was being held by the McLean County Illinois Sheriff’s Office.
This story was originally published June 19, 2020 at 7:48 PM.