Posted on 11/04/2015 6:26:22 AM PST by Red Badger
SALT LAKE CITY -- A fight outside a Salt Lake City hotel early Sunday morning could possibly be investigated as a hate crime, authorities said Monday.
Cell phone video captured a black man throw a punch at a Caucasian man who knocked him out. The fight was over an argument about a Confederate Flag decal on a truck parked at the Red Lion Hotel.
The truck belonged to Kelly Leeper’s friend. Leeper was in town for the Garth Brooks concert. On Sunday, he said looked out the window of his room at the Red Lion and saw a group of black men near his friend’s truck.
In the back of the truck, Leeper said there was $50,000 worth of welding equipment. There was also a Confederate Flag decal on the side.
"The point is it's my right to drive what any kind of vehicle I want. If I want to fly the Confederate Flag, it's my right,†Leeper said.
Leeper went to the parking lot with his friend and confronted the group. That’s when the fight turned violent.
In one fast and powerful punch, Leeper’s friend was knocked out. A scuffle ensued and Leeper was taken down by a group of six men.
"I'll be damned if I ever come to Salt Lake again without bringing my gun," Leeper said.
The fight was captured on cell phone video. The video has been turned over to Salt Lake City Police.
Someone at the scene also wrote down a partial plate number of the vehicle the suspects’ drove away in.
"Somebody thought to get a plate number as well and that's really going to help in this case. I think we'll probably be able to track down that vehicle,†said Sgt. Robin Heiden, spokeswoman for Salt Lake City Police Department.
It is only a partial plate number and it comes from a temporary Utah license tag. The car is described as a silver two-door car with the partial plate 9-7-S-20.
Leeper said the fight turned racial, with slurs going both ways by the time it was over.
"It could potentially be a hate crime. We'll then present all that to the district attorney who will make that final determination,†Heiden said.
Both Leeper and his friend suffered cuts and bruises but neither were seriously hurt.
Salt Lake City police is asking for help in identifying the men in the video and with locating the car involved. Anyone with information related to the crime, is asked to call Salt Lake City police at 801-799-3000.
WARNING: Photos below contain graphic images of the man injured in the fight.
In all likely-hood if the feds jump in they would define sporting a confederate flag decal as the hate crime.
Obama is evil. These are his sons!
“In all likely-hood if the feds jump in they would define sporting a confederate flag decal as the hate crime.”
Ahh.. the emotional response defense.
Yup.....
Very interesting. Possible application of hate crime the the provocateur-vigilantes. Salt Lake City push back against Holderworld.
Good for them. Some rise in SLC stock with me.
ALL crimes are hate crimes.
You might have been correct except for all the racial slurs of micro-aggression and dog-whistles, which are audible only by minorities and MSNBC. In other words White folks be racist when black folks say they be racist or if Chris Matthews says so between shots of scotch.
Direct result of recent Confederate Flag hysteria...fueled by Obama.
If the cops can’t arrest these ferals by watching the video of the beatings, they should resign in shame.
I think the blacks just stereotyped themselves....once again.
The kid in the white hat needs a boxing lesson.
The kid in the White Hut needs a boxing lesson.........................
It was a hate crime. ‘
‘
Ask yourself: If 6 white men beat a black man to a pulp because he had a ‘Black Lives Matter’ sticker on his car, would it be investigated as a hate crime?
Would the New York Times jump in - screaming bloody murder?
Would the Southern Poverty Law Center milk the crime to raise funds and keep the FBI in line?
Bet on it.
If “Justice’ doesn’t look into this they’re a bunch of biased haters who WILL be brought to justice when Trump is elected President.
Salt Lake City has become dramatically more dangerous over the past 25 years (at least based on the nightly TV broadcasts). good idea for the victim to bring his guns next time and every time.
And imagine the national and international coverage if the tables had been turned and a group of white thugs had assaulted a couple of blacks who had a MLK sticker on their Cadillac.
But Salt Lake City just elected a lesbian mayor so it’s all good.
Thats what I thought.
No way would any DA go against the rule of Political Correctness and call a racist crime committed by a black to be a hate crime.
Surely they meant flying the confederate flag was the hate crime.
I thought that SLC was fully and totally controlled by the Mormon Church?.......................
“I thought that SLC was fully and totally controlled by the Mormon Church?.......................”
NOT SLC (the city) It comprises a fairly small fraction of the total population of the Salt Lake metro area.
For instance the city itself is home to the Univ. of Utah, which is NOT Mormon in practice.
true. the Mormons control the state government.
and the Salt Lake Tribune is a liberal rag.
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