- A Florida man was convicted of a hate crime after he shouted slurs and ran a Black man's car off the road.
- The victim, J.T., knew mixed martial arts and put Leahy in a chokehold until police arrived.
- Jordan Leahy faces a maximum sentence of ten years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.
A Florida man was convicted of a hate crime after he ran a Black man's car off the road. He didn't expect the victim to put him in a chokehold until police arrived.
Jordan Patrick Leahy, 29, was found guilty by a federal jury after prosecutors presented evidence that Leahy threatened a Black man traveling with his family, according to a statement from the Department of Justice.
On August 8, 2021, Leahy encountered the victim – named J.T. in the statement – as he traveled with his girlfriend and daughter. Leahy began to call J.T. racial slurs and "used his car in an attempt to force J.T. and his family off the road," according to the statement.
"Leahy's pursuit of J.T. and his family lasted nearly a mile and half before Leahy sideswiped J.T. as J.T. attempted to evade the attack. Leahy fled the scene of the accident, but stopped at the next red light. J.T. pulled behind Leahy at the light, and Leahy got out of his car, stormed at J.T., and tried to assault him, again yelling racial slurs," the statement read.
Leahy tried to strike J.T., who happened to practice mixed martial arts, and put him in a chokehold until police arrived, according to NBC News.
"When officers from the Pinellas County Sherriff's Office arrived on the scene, Leahy made numerous statements evidencing his bias motive, including telling the officers that Black people need to be kept 'in their areas,'" the DOJ statement said.
"Across America, families must be able to freely travel our public streets without fear of being attacked because of race," Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke said, per the statement. "This verdict should send a strong message that the Department of Justice remains firmly committed to prosecuting, to the fullest extent of the law, those who would use violence to enforce heinous racist beliefs."
Leahy faces a maximum sentence of ten years in prison with three years of supervised release, as well as a maximum fine of $250,000.