A 21-year-old man in Montana, United States, has been charged with a felony after allegedly shoving an Indian-origin man and telling him to “go back to his country” in downtown Helena. He was charged in connection with a case that took place on August 7. The accused faces a felony charge of malicious intimidation or harassment, along with a misdemeanour assault charge. If convicted of the felony, he can face up to five years in prison.
Accused Appears In Court
The accused, Jaxton Tayte Collins, 21, appeared for indictment on Tuesday in the Lewis and Clark County District Court in Montana. According to a report by the Helena Independent Record, carried by the Billings Gazette, Collins is accused of targeting a man of Indian descent during the incident in Helena, the state capital.
What Happened In Downtown Helena?
According to the court affidavit, the complainant told police that he was walking with friends when a man wearing an orange shirt and a large cross necklace approached his friend. The friend, who is of Indian descent and wears a head covering, was allegedly shoved by the man with both hands. The accused also allegedly told him to “go back to his country”. Witnesses also described the incident as frightening and called it an attack.
When additional police officers arrived, they found Collins nearby. According to the affidavit, Collins told officers that he had been drinking at a downtown bar before the incident. He allegedly admitted shouting at the victim to go back to his own country because he was angry. However, he denied shoving the man.
Under Montana law, malicious intimidation or harassment can apply when a person targets someone because of their race, religion, colour, national origin or other protected grounds and intentionally causes bodily injury, creates a reasonable fear of bodily injury, or damages property. A person convicted of this offence can face up to five years in state prison, a fine of up to USD 5,000, or both.
Rising Anti-Indian Incidents
The case comes amid reports of incidents targeting people of Indian and South Asian origin around the world. Earlier on October 19, an Indian-Australian family was targeted in a racist attack at an apartment complex in Morningside, eastern Brisbane, Australia. The incident took place late at night when a 19-year-old man allegedly hurled racial slurs at the family and threatened to blow up the entire building. The accused has been charged in connection with the incident.
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