A Colorado man will spend New Year’s Eve behind bars, accused of bias crimes for allegedly trying to strangle a TV information reporter whereas saying, “This is Trump’s America now,” officers mentioned.
Patrick Thomas Egan, 39, was arrested Dec. 18 and booked on a slew of prices stemming from the unprovoked assault on KJCT reporter Ja-Ronn Alex, 22, in Grand Junction, authorities mentioned.
Egan was nonetheless being held in lieu of $20,000 bond at Mesa County Jail on Tuesday afternoon, on-line sheriff’s records showed.
Alex, who’s a Pacific Islander, advised investigators he was out within the subject when a Sunshine Rides taxi began following him, with the cab driver shouting aggressive remarks.
“Are you even a U.S. citizen?” Egan allegedly shouted, in accordance with an affidavit within the man’s arrest. “This is Trump’s America now! I’m a Marine and I took an oath to guard this nation from folks such as you.”
Alex advised his supervisor in regards to the menacing suspect and she or he advised him to return to the station, so he may very well be contained in the “safe constructing and get away from” Patrick as quickly as attainable, the affidavit mentioned.
But earlier than Alex might make it to the entrance door, Egan “chased after him” and “was demanding Ja’Ronn’s ID and asking him if he was an American,” in accordance with the affidavit.
The suspect then “tackled him to the bottom inflicting his accidents,” and put the sufferer “right into a headlock and started to strangle him,” the criticism mentioned.
Several staff of the station then rushed to Alex’s aspect and pulled Egan’s “arms from spherical Ja’Ronn’s neck and held him on the bottom till legislation enforcement arrived,” in accordance with the affidavit.
Witnesses advised investigators that Alex’s “face was turning pink as he was being strangled” by the suspect and that he was “dropping his potential to breathe” through the assault that lasted between 45 and 90 seconds, in accordance with the criticism.
Egan was booked on suspicion of assault by strangulation, a bias motivated crime and harassment by ethnic intimidation, jail information confirmed.
He’s due again in court docket on Thursday.
Egan’s legal professional and a U.S. Marine Corps consultant couldn’t be instantly reached for touch upon Tuesday.
The Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) mentioned it “strongly condemns the harassment and bodily assault on” Alex.
“This act of violence towards a journalist of colour, motivated by racial bias, underscores the continued threats confronted by journalists and people from marginalized communities,” AAJA said in a statement on Monday. “It highlights how racist and anti-immigrant rhetoric, which elevated through the pandemic, has led to bodily assaults on members of AAPI communities.”
