A Chicago-area black man has been charged with a hate crime for beating a white victim in retaliation over the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, the Chicago Tribune reports.
Alton L. Hayes of Oak Park, Il. approached a 19-year-old white male walking in a neighborhood around 1 a.m. on April 17. Oak Park Police say that Hayes attacked the victim from behind, pushed him against a wall, threatening him with a tree branch. He then demanded that the victim hand over his belongings and reached into the man’s pockets.
Hayes was eventually caught by local law enforcement authorities soon after.