Woman who called police on Black delivery driver faces hate crime charge
A California woman "used force" and "hateful language" against a Black delivery driver, authorities say
The California woman who police said accused a Black delivery driver of speeding and followed him, now faces a hate crime charge, according to Yahoo! News.
The 35-year-old woman, identified as Julie Walrand, was arrested on April 18 after Berkeley police received reports of a disturbance. According to the police, Walrand and her boyfriend followed the driver because they believed him to be speeding.
The chase led to a confrontation in which Walrand “used force” to stop the driver from leaving and “used hateful language disparaging people of color,” authorities said.
The driver, Kendall McIntosh, told KRON-TV that Walrand’s boyfriend stood behind the truck to stop him from leaving, and that she used racial slurs against him and jumped inside the vehicle, grabbing the steering wheel, according to Yahoo!.
Read More: Woman pleads guilty to hate crimes for running down Black boy, Latina girl
“What constantly was running through my mind was you know it could be me in handcuffs instead of her so no matter what the situation is, just protect yourself,” McIntosh said. “If you feel like you have to videotape it or anything, definitely do that because I felt like if there wasn’t a video… she probably could’ve gotten away with saying this.”
“I initially thought it was just somebody having a bad day. I thought me ignoring her, she goes her way, I go my way,” McIntosh continued.
McIntosh had just finished his shift and was going to help another driver on Delaware Street in Berkeley, until Walrand pulled alongside his van and began shouting “Who the f— do you think you are? Who do you think you are driving down my street like this?” KTVU reported.
Read More: Mass. man charged with hate crime after trying to run over Black children
“I was scared I didn’t know how it was going to run out so I thought the best thing to do was leave the situation,” McIntosh said. He left to continue making deliveries and returned when he learned officers had arrived at the scene, according to KTVU.
“I never wanted this to happen. I didn’t want to get to this point, but there’s too many incidents out here in America,” said McIntosh. “There’s similar stories like this where there is no video, no recording and people get away with that type of stuff. It’s just not right.”
Walrand was arrested for false imprisonment, battery, using offensive words and threatening a person based on their perceived characteristics, police said.
Read More: California man arrested for assaulting elderly Black man over BLM sign
According to a news release, Berkeley police said Walrand faces a hate crime charge because she is accused of committing “a crime against a person, group, or property motivated by the victim’s real or perceiving protected social group,” reported Yahoo!.
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