Hate Crime Against Latino in Lansing, Michigan

WKAR and the Lansing City Pulse have reported the incident, and the Lansing Police Department are investigating it as a hate crime. The victim spoke with reporters on the condition of anonymity, saying “I was walking and two white people asked me for a lighter. When I put my head down, they started beating me."

The attackers beat him, knocked him to the ground and kicked him in the head. The immigrant received injuries to his hand as he shielded his face. He is bruised on the sides and back of his head, he said. Lying on the ground after the beating, he felt the staples go into his stomach before the attackers fled. Emergency responders took him to the hospital. He was treated and released. The man suspects the attack was premeditated because the note was pre-written and the attackers had their staple gun on hand.

He said alcohol was likely involved, judging by the smell of his attackers. The attack took more than just a psychological toll. He claims to have lost two jobs because he was briefly afraid to go out and unable to work due to the injuries to his head and hands.

“I got scared to death, scared to come on the news, that those guys could come and do this again,” he said. That case raised concern from activists that the alarm was not sounded to the community. Lansing Police have not issued any press statements on this anti-immigrant case, either.