‘I Can Beat Them’

Michigan Man Faces Federal Hate Crime Charges in Attack on Black Teens

Lee Mouat, 42, faces two federal hate-crime charges in a bike lock attack that left an 18-year old with a facial fracture and several missing teeth.

A Michigan man accused of striking a Black teenager in the face with a bike lock while yelling “Black lives don’t matter” was indicted on federal hate crime charges Thursday, according to the Justice Department. Lee Mouat, 42, faces charges of willfully causing bodily injury and attempting to cause bodily injury to two teenagers because of their race. According to The New York Times, the attack left one teenager, 18-year-old Devin Freelon, with a facial fracture and without several teeth. Another witness reported hearing Mouat say, “I wish someone would say something to me so I can beat them,” according to the Times. If found guilty, Mouat would face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each count, according to the Justice Department.