A Kansas man was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison for threatening a Black man with a knife to intimidate and interfere with the man's right to housing.
Colton Donner, 27, reportedly threatened the man Sept. 11, 2019, in Paola, Kan., according to a June 29 Department of Justice news release. Conner stopped driving when he saw the Black man walking down the sidewalk. He reportedly got out of the car, brandishing a knife, threatening the man and telling him Paola is "a white town."
"Racially-motivated threats and violence have no place in our society today," Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke, of the DOJ Civil Rights Division, said in the release. "This sentence should send a strong message to perpetrators of violent hate-fueled acts that they will be held accountable for their crimes. Everyone deserves to feel safe and secure living in their communities, without being subject to racially-motivated crimes seeking to drive them from their homes or neighborhoods."
Donner face 18 months of supervised release after serving his sentence, according to the release.
"All Americans have the freedom to decide where they want to live, and to do so without fear of being threatened because of their race," U.S. Attorney for Kansas Duston Slinkard said in the release. "Hopefully this prison sentence will deter those who would commit acts of racial discrimination and violence by illustrating the Justice Department’s steadfast resolve to prosecute these crimes."
"Every individual has the right to occupy a home free from racial discrimination, yet the defendant targeted the victim for no other reason than the victim's race," Charles Dayoub, special agent in charge of the FBI Kansas City field office, said in the release. "The defendant's actions directly undermined the victim's right to reside in a community in Paola and to enjoy the protections afforded under the federal civil rights act. The FBI, along with our law enforcement partners, have no tolerance for this type of fear and intimidation and are committed to protecting residents regardless of their race, color, religion, gender, national origin or familial status."
The case against Donner was investigated by the Paola Police Department and the FBI's Kansas City field office, and was was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney for Kansas Tristam Hunt of the District and Trial Attorney Anita Channapati of the Civil Rights Division's Criminal Section, the release reported.
