A former US marine is facing hate crime charges after allegedly driving his pickup truck into a store he believed was owned by Muslims, according to American media reports.
Authorities said Chad Horsley, 27, targeted the store in Watson, Louisiana, “because of the hate he had for Muslims,” The New York Post reported Sunday. Horsley “wanted to make them pay for some things that he felt happened overseas,” and that he “was also upset that Muslims, in his mind were having an easier time prospering than he was despite his time in the service,” Livingston Parish Sheriff Jason Ard said.
However, the store Horsley allegedly targeted is owned not by Muslims, but by Sikhs, who are often the targets of Islamophobic hate. According to authorities, Horsley entered the shop in late February, posing as a police officer, and threatened to return and search for drugs, the Advocate in Baton Rouge reported.
Then on March 3, police say, Horsley drove his white pickup truck into the shop and then sped away. Harjot Singh, a cashier and nephew of the owner, said his family came from India two years ago.
“This was the first ever incident to happen like that,” he said. “We’re just trying to make a living out of here, that’s all we’re doing.” Damage to the shop was estimated at $4,000, the report said.
Horsley faces criminal charges of property damage, mischief, false impersonation of a police officer, and a hate crime. His bond was set around $56,000.
Meanwhile, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) released a statement about the incident.
“We thank local law enforcement officials for their prompt and professional response to this disturbing incident, which is apparently another example of the growing Islamophobia targeting American Muslims and those perceived to be Muslim,” Ibrahim Hooper, CAIR’s national communications director. “An individual charged with such serious crimes should not have been released on bail before trial.”
