According to local news outlet WOOD, police have charged a man in Kent County, Michigan with ethnic intimidation following an incident in which he allegedly shouted racial slurs and threats at a Black father at the pool of a Staybridge Suites hotel.
The suspect has been identified as Joel Venema, who faces three charges and up to a decade in prison if convicted.
"According to a sworn testimony from investigators filed with the court, the victim Jackie Beard Jr. is lucky to be alive," reported WOOD's Heather Walker.
Beard said the incident was the "most disturbing thing I have seen in my whole life."
Beard and his family were hanging out at the pool when Venema arrived and started playing with his children. "He slammed his kids in the pool and I was like, OK, they are going to be on the wild side," Beard recalled.
Eventually, Beard said, Venema started treating his kids so roughly that Beard felt compelled to walk over and ask him to stay away from his own children — at which point the assault began.
"'He's like, 'F you, N-word, F you, N-word. I'm going to kill you, N-word,'' Beard said," the report continued. "Trying to deescalate the situation, Beard said he started walking away. But Venema wasn't done, allegedly jumping on Beard's back and putting him in a chokehold. 'He was like, 'I'm going to kill you, N-word. N-word, you are going to die tonight.' I'm like , 'No, I'm not,'' Beard said. The court document said Venema, who was 'obviously intoxicated,' jumped Beard twice in front of his three kids."
This report comes amid a surge of hate crime incidents around the country. A report at the end of last year found hate crimes to be at their highest level in over a decade.
Watch the original report below:
