Man accused of running over Sikh man charged with hate crime
A man accused of running over the Sikh owner of a suburban Denver liquor store after reportedly telling him and his wife to “go back to your country” is now facing a hate crime charge in addition to 16 other charges, including attempted murder.
Prosecutors said the hate crime charge was filed against Eric Breemen on Tuesday nearly three months after the alleged assault in the parking lot of the Lakewood store Lakhwant Singh owns with his wife, The charges came after an investigation prosecutors say was delayed by the severity of Singh’s injuries, his 65-day stay in the hospital and coronavirus pandemic restrictions.
The announcement from the office of First Judicial District Attorney Peter Weir said investigators recently conducted their first in-person interview with Singh with help from the FBI after Singh’s release from the hospital.
“This is a very serious case and another example of the challenges we face in the criminal justice system during this public health emergency,” Weir said.
“This is a very serious case and another example of the challenges we face in the criminal justice system during this public health emergency,” Weir said.
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The couple were protected by a plexiglass window on the counter that they had installed because of the pandemic, and they repeatedly asked Breemen to leave before he finally did so, legal director Amrith Kaur Aakre said in a June 1 letter to police and prosecutors urging authorities to pursue a hate crime charge.
Singh followed him outside to take a photo of Breemen’s license plate, which the coalition said enraged Breemen and caused him to use his vehicle to hit him, Aakre said.
https://coloradosun.com/2020/07/23/eric-breemen-hate-crime-lakewood-colorado/
This undated booking photo from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office shows Eric Breemen, 36. Breemen who is accused of running over the Sikh owner of a suburban Denver liquor store after reportedly telling him and his wife to “go back to your country,” is now facing a hate crime charge. Over a dozen charges, including attempted murder, had already been filed against Breemen before prosecutors added the hate crime charge on Tuesday, July 21, 2020. (Handout)
