Is This a Hate Crime? White Soldier Stabbed to Death in Washington State
Posted on | October 7, 2013 | 23 Comments
Army Spec. Tevin Geike was about to finish his three-year hitch. Friends and family had gathered for a party Friday at a hotel in Lakewood, Washington, near Joint Base Lewis-McChord. About 2:30 a.m. Saturday, Geike and two of his Army buddies were walking along the highway “when a group of black men drove by and shouted a racial comment toward the soldiers”:
“One of the soldiers yelled back something about the suspects treating combat soldiers with disrespect,” Lt. Chris Lawler said.
The car turned around and the men confronted the soldiers, according to reports. As the verbal confrontation ensued, the driver of the vehicle realized the men were actually combat veterans and called his friends off. While the men headed back to their vehicle, one of the suspects appeared to have bumped into Geike, witnesses say.
The soldiers saw Geike fall to the ground as the car sped away. He was bleeding profusely from stab wounds and died at the scene. . . .
The initial remark that started the encounter seemed derogatory in nature, said Lakewood police Lt. Chris Lawler. He said it was too early to say that race was the motivating factor, but investigators were exploring whether the killing should be classified as a hate crime.
“We are certainly considering it, for sure,” Lawler said.
Police are searching for a midnight blue BMW-type sedan or VW Jetta-type car with four doors, tinted windows and stock rims, and low profile tires.
All five suspects are black men in their 20s, police say. The main suspect is believed to be in his early 20s, about 6’1″, medium build, and was wearing a blue zip-up hoodie. The driver was described as having short cropped hair, and wearing a blue and white horizontal striped shirt.
Whether or not a murder is prosecuted officially as a “hate crime” is irrelevant, of course. It’s murder, and the maximum penalty applies. Reports of such crimes have repeatedly made headlines since the George Zimmerman trial, provoking the thought that perhaps the media publicity to that case — and the racial demagoguery surrounding it — has led to worsening race relations. Should we blame Al Sharpton?
UPDATE: Police arrested five suspects Monday and said their investigation indicates this was not — not — a hate crime.
Comments
23 Responses to “Is This a Hate Crime? White Soldier Stabbed to Death in Washington State”
October 7th, 2013 @ 8:38 am
Is This a Hate Crime? White Soldier Stabbed to Death in Washington State: Army Spec. Tevin Geike was about to … http://t.co/l9h7XruHSL
October 7th, 2013 @ 8:38 am
Is This a Hate Crime? White Soldier Stabbed to Death in Washington State: Army Spec. Tevin Geike was about to … http://t.co/mxvrBfpu8L
October 7th, 2013 @ 8:38 am
Is This a Hate Crime? White Soldier Stabbed to Death in Washington State: Army Spec. Tevin Geike was about to … http://t.co/Cgv5SZlkm1
October 7th, 2013 @ 8:38 am
Is This a Hate Crime? White Soldier Stabbed to Death in Washington State: Army Spec. Tevin Geike was about to … http://t.co/eb776IwWoH
October 7th, 2013 @ 8:38 am
Is This a Hate Crime? White Soldier Stabbed to Death in Washington State: Army Spec. Tevin Geike was about to … http://t.co/9wKCoYRLbk
October 7th, 2013 @ 8:38 am
RT @smitty_one_each: TOM Is This a Hate Crime? White Soldier Stabbed to Death in Washington State http://t.co/rNQeHATnbB #TCOT
October 7th, 2013 @ 8:38 am
Is This a Hate Crime? White Soldier Stabbed to Death in Washington State http://t.co/zU6PvmXj2b #tcot
October 7th, 2013 @ 8:40 am
RT @rsmccain: Is This a Hate Crime? White Soldier Stabbed to Death in Washington State http://t.co/zU6PvmXj2b #tcot
October 7th, 2013 @ 8:42 am
RT @rsmccain: Is This a Hate Crime? White Soldier Stabbed to Death in Washington State http://t.co/zU6PvmXj2b #tcot
October 7th, 2013 @ 8:43 am
RT @rsmccain: Is This a Hate Crime? White Soldier Stabbed to Death in Washington State http://t.co/yr5Np9p3be #tcot
October 7th, 2013 @ 8:43 am
RT @smitty_one_each: TOM Is This a Hate Crime? White Soldier Stabbed to Death in Washington State http://t.co/48f1Y9pQ7o #TCOT
October 7th, 2013 @ 8:48 am
I agree we should do away with the whole “hate crime” nonsense, and that murder is murder, whatever the motive. But for now we do have this stupid statute, so it’s nice to see it at least potentially being applied equally.
Though it wouldn’t surprise me if Holder’s DoJ were to contact them and “suggest” that since only whites can be racist, hate crimes based on skin color can obviously never be committed by non-whites. Grrrr.
October 7th, 2013 @ 8:53 am
RT @CHideout: Is This a Hate Crime? White Soldier Stabbed to Death in Washington State: Army Spec. Tevin Geike was about to … http://t.co…
October 7th, 2013 @ 8:54 am
RT @rsmccain: Is This a Hate Crime? White Soldier Stabbed to Death in Washington State http://t.co/zU6PvmXj2b #tcot
October 7th, 2013 @ 9:03 am
I’ve never agreed with the “hate crime” nonsense.
Is an assault worse because it’s a “hate crime?” Is someone more dead because they were murdered in a “hate crime?”
There is no crime that can be made worse because it’s a “hate crime.” The only thing that can be made worse is the punishment.
Which is a pretty “racist” way to look at it.
October 7th, 2013 @ 9:04 am
It can’t be raaaaaacist. That can only be directed against blacks.
October 7th, 2013 @ 9:58 am
“That can only be directed against blacks.”
And gays.
October 7th, 2013 @ 10:30 am
And anyone else who hates whites. All the blacks and Hispanics killing each other in LA? No hate there. Just ask any white Democrat.
Oh, and probably Asians, too, cuz they be acting white and shit with all that going to school and getting jobs shit. They be keeping us down by…um… by doing shit…
October 7th, 2013 @ 11:08 am
Is This a Hate Crime? White Soldier Stabbed to Death in Washington State : The Other McCain http://t.co/zf1jZ7jwv0
October 7th, 2013 @ 1:24 pm
RT @rsmccain: Is This a Hate Crime? White Soldier Stabbed to Death in Washington State http://t.co/zU6PvmXj2b #tcot
October 7th, 2013 @ 5:37 pm
[…] Is This a Hate Crime? White Soldier Stabbed to Death in Washington State […]
October 7th, 2013 @ 6:28 pm
Is This a Hate Crime? White Soldier Stabbed to Death in Washington State http://t.co/5B40NYOS3H
October 8th, 2013 @ 8:17 am
[…] hatred does not appear to be the motive for the weekend stabbing of 20-year-old Army Spec. Tevin Geike, authorities in Washington State said Monday after making […]