White driver in Mississippi charged after allegedly recording attempt to run over Black children
Mark Hall reportedly shared a 10-second recording to Snapchat, where it was reposted on Facebook, prompting a viral response.
A 49-year-old white man in Mississippi may soon face hate crime charges after sharing a video online where he is threatening to run down Black children in the street.
Mark Hall was arrested Tuesday and charged with nine counts of simple assault, according to People. Hall reportedly shared the 10-second video to Snapchat, where a viewer recorded it and reposted it on Facebook, prompting a viral response.
In the video, the man is heard saying, “Aww, hell, 50 points,” as he drives toward several Black children riding bicycles. He speeds toward them, nearly striking one as he laughs and mutters, “Stupid (n-word).”
Hall will also face one count of attempted assault by physical menace to create fear.
Mark Hall, 49, arrested Tuesday and charged with nine counts of simple assault after he posted a video online where he threatened to run down Black children riding their bikes in Ripley, MS. The police are “considering” hate crime charges – WTAF?
— ᒪᗩᑎᑕᗴ 🏳️🌈 (@LanceUSA70) July 27, 2022
THIS IS AN ATTEMPTED HATE CRIME. pic.twitter.com/KcyUjDsr3E
Scott White, the police chief of Ripley, Mississippi, told a crowd of residents that the investigation is ongoing. He added that state prosecutors would consult with federal authorities to determine whether the suspect will face federal hate crime charges.
Additionally, White confirmed that investigators believe that Hall’s truck did make contact with at least one of the children’s bikes.
“He could have hurt those guys,” Clarence Holmes, the father of someone in the video, told Fox 13 Memphis. “He could have killed somebody or anything, but he had no regard for those Black lives that were out there.”
“We are living in a time that is supposed to be progressive,” he continued. “We are supposed to be progressive people, but we are still dealing with the same things that we were dealing with back when my grandparents and great grandparents were around.”
Jakai Holmes, one of the teens riding their bikes, expressed his dismay that they’d be targeted.
“It wasn’t right,” he said. “We are just trying to go around and be kids and ride our bikes around the neighborhood and be together, and it’s sad that people will try to take your fun away from you.”
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