Post by Logan on Jan 10, 2016 6:38:05 GMT -6
Ohio Man Convicted of Hate Crime After Threat to ‘Shoot Up’ Gym for Allowing Gay Members
An Ohio man was convicted of a hate crime Friday after repeatedly threatening to “shoot up” his gym if it didn’t get rid of gay members, then attempting to assault a man at the Columbus fitness center based on his sexual orientation.
Michael D. Smith, 41, was arrested after he got off his treadmill and charged at a man he perceived to be gay. Smith launched into a rant about not being able to go into the locker room “because all the fags are in there” and said “he wished he could kill all the gays,” according to a report from The Columbus Dispatch.
After being convicted of ethnic intimidation, aggravated menacing and disorderly conduct, Smith was taken into custody and faces up to a year in jail at his sentencing next week. Ethnic intimidation is a rarely used charge in Columbus city code related to assault or menacing based on the victim’s age, race, religion or sexual orientation.
Smith allegedly went into Cal Fitness on two occasions in August and threatened to “shoot up” the gym if his demands to remove gay members weren’t met. Later, Smith had to be restrained by two other members when he got off his treadmill, made angry comments about gay people and tried to attack 22-year-old Michael D. Harris.
Read more: www.towleroad.com/2016/01/gay-gym/
An Ohio man was convicted of a hate crime Friday after repeatedly threatening to “shoot up” his gym if it didn’t get rid of gay members, then attempting to assault a man at the Columbus fitness center based on his sexual orientation.
Michael D. Smith, 41, was arrested after he got off his treadmill and charged at a man he perceived to be gay. Smith launched into a rant about not being able to go into the locker room “because all the fags are in there” and said “he wished he could kill all the gays,” according to a report from The Columbus Dispatch.
After being convicted of ethnic intimidation, aggravated menacing and disorderly conduct, Smith was taken into custody and faces up to a year in jail at his sentencing next week. Ethnic intimidation is a rarely used charge in Columbus city code related to assault or menacing based on the victim’s age, race, religion or sexual orientation.
Smith allegedly went into Cal Fitness on two occasions in August and threatened to “shoot up” the gym if his demands to remove gay members weren’t met. Later, Smith had to be restrained by two other members when he got off his treadmill, made angry comments about gay people and tried to attack 22-year-old Michael D. Harris.
Read more: www.towleroad.com/2016/01/gay-gym/