Photo: Tetra Images / Tetra images / Getty Images
A Washington man was sentenced on Tuesday (April 2) after harassing a Black police officer with racist insults and lunging at him. A judge sentenced 40-year-old Dwayne Houston to five years in prison for malicious harassment and possession of methamphetamine, according to The Spokesman-Review.
Houston was arrested after interrupting an investigation at a fast-food restaurant on July 9, 2023. A Post Falls police officer responded to reports of a fight in the drive-thru, but Houston, who had nothing to do with the incident, started harassing a Black police officer.
Kootenai County prosecutors said Houston asked why the officer was looking at him. The officer replied, "Have a good day, sir," and the suspect said, “You, too, boy,” with emphasis on the word "boy." Houston continued mocking the Black cop, making comments about the officer's smile, lips, and mother, according to officials.
Reports claim Houston stared down the police officer with "clenched jaw muscles." The Black officer, who started worrying about his safety, flashed a light in Houston's eyes and asked if the man had a problem, prosecutors said. The man reportedly lunged at the cop, yelling expletives while telling the officer to get the light out of his face.
Police arrested Houston and found meth in one of his pockets. He was also wearing a leather belt reading "TEXAS BANDIDOS" but a swastika replaced the "X," according to reporters.
“The crime of Malicious Harassment does not prohibit free speech or the use of racial slurs,” prosecutors said in a news release obtained by the newspaper. “As illustrated in this case, Malicious Harassment prohibits threats – lunging at an officer – that are racially motivated. Motive can be established by the surrounding circumstances of each case; commonly by the words a perpetrator uses during the threat.”
Houston will be eligible for parole after two years. The 40-year-old also has pending charges in Pierce County for assault, malicious mischief, and hit-and-run of an attended vehicle.
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