I'm thinking there might be some sort of trick to it!!
Posted on 06/25/2020 8:45:38 AM PDT by Red Badger
By Tom McLaughlin Posted Jun 24, 2020 at 5:13 PM
SHALIMAR — Matthew Ross Peters had decided to kill Benny Davis when he shot him Saturday with a crossbow, and his decision was based on a racial prejudice he harbored, according to officials.
RELATED: FWB bicyclist shot in head with arrow from crossbow; suspect in custody
Those findings, uncovered in the Fort Walton Beach Police Department’s investigation of the shooting, prompted the First Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office Wednesday to bolster its charges against Peters.
RELATED: FWB man shot in head with arrow feels ‘blessed’ by support
He now faces a charge of attempted first degree premeditated murder with a weapon, and his actions have been determined to qualify as a hate crime, according to Bill Bishop, the chief assistant state attorney for Okaloosa County.
Davis was on his way home from work shortly after 11 p.m. Saturday when he apparently inadvertently crossed paths with Peters at a Circle K store on U.S. Highway 98 near First Street.
An arrest report states Peters left the store in a pick up truck “within seconds” of Davis departing on his bicycle.
Davis would later tell authorities that a pickup stopped as he pulled his bike to the side of the road to let it pass and the driver had fired at him with a crossbow.
The dart from the crossbow struck Davis in the head, causing significant injury determined not to be life threatening.
Arrested several hours later with a crossbow in his possession, Peters was originally charged with aggravated battery, a second degree felony that can result in a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, according to Bishop.
The attempted murder charge carries a life sentence upon conviction, he said.
“The Fort Walton Beach Police Department continued its investigation since the arrest of Mr. Peters,” Bishop said. “Further information and evidence developed do make it appropriate to charge the case in the manner we have.”
Bishop said he could not divulge the investigative findings that led to the charges being upgraded, but he did say officers have determined Peters was acting with “a premeditated intent to kill” and “with racial prejudice.”
Peters also still also faces a charge of throwing a deadly missile from within an occupied vehicle with two drug-related charges.
“Hate crime” makes my blood boil. Where are all the love crimes?
I wonder how many priors this guy has and how he got out of jail?
Oklahoma is a long way from Florida.
Doesn’t look good but will reserve judgement upon release of all the facts of the case.
I first saw this and thought it was terrible to shoot someone, especially a negro, with a crossbow.
Then I read that the guy shot was riding a bike.
The answer is obvious. We need to BAN all bikes.
Doesn’t look good but will reserve judgement upon release of all the facts of the case.
SEATTLE, WA
Where are all the love crimes?.......
In PRISONS......................
Okaloosa County is our county................
When are blacks going to get charged with hate crimes for all the whites they kill
Crossbow road rage.
ewwww
Ah, my bad.
Ouch!
Game of Thrones drive-by.
Hate crimes are just modern day ‘Jim Crow’ laws expect they are an attack against white people.
Government is anti-white racist.
JoMa
I'm thinking there might be some sort of trick to it!!
There is no such thing as a Black on White 'hate crime', there is only reparations. I wish to hell I was being sarcastic!
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