Man with swastika tattoos gets 6-year prison sentence for randomly punching Black teen in the face

Charles Mitchell “Mitch” Patton, 27, was sentenced to 6 years in prison for randomly punching a Black teenager in the face -- just because he was Black, Atlanta Black Star reports.

Patton had previously pleaded guilty to injury to a child. According to police, the 14-year-old boy was walking down a street in his Texas neighborhood when a black Dodge Ram pickup with three white men drove up and parked. That's when Patton jumped out and started hurling racial epithets that the teen. He then lifted up his shirt to show his swastika tattoos. He then started swinging his fists at the teen, busting his lip.

As the Atlanta Black Star points out, causing injury to a child is punishable by two to 10 years in prison. Because race played a factor in the crime, a first-degree felony hate crime charge could have doubled his sentencing.

Read more at The Atlanta Black Star.