In Washington state, an 82-year-old woman faces hate crime charges after allegedly confronting two Hispanic women for supporting former President Donald Trump. Edmonds Police Department officers detained the elderly woman on Monday and the incident was reportedly captured on body camera footage.
In the video, the suspect can be heard explaining her reasons for approaching the woman. “I walked up to her and said, ‘I want to know why you’re voting for Trump,’” he told officers. “And I said, ‘Because you’re dark-skinned.’”
One of the women confronted, Gina Powell, a Trump supporter, recounted the incident and described how the woman approached her and Mary Jennings during a Trump rally in Edmonds, not far from Seattle. According to Powell, the elderly woman asked her questions about her race and political opinions, citing the color of her skin as the reason for the investigation.
“I was surprised by her presence of mind and she made it very clear that it was my skin color,” Powell said. the suspect supposedly continued“I hate racism in this country, I hate how people are treated. And so I wonder, why would anyone with brown skin support this man? And that was my question.”
Powell told the officer that the suspect called her a “racist” in response to questioning. According to the suspect, she responded by pushing Powell and placing her hand on his chin and shoulder. “It wasn’t difficult,” the woman admitted, adding, “But I did it.”
In the body camera footage, Powell described his reaction, saying, “I said, ‘Why? Because of the color of my skin? And then I said, ‘You’re racist.'” Powell stated the woman responded by pushing her and hitting her chin. While Powell claimed she was not hurt, she emphasized: “We have freedom of speech, you can say whatever you want. “But you can’t touch me.”
Police asked Powell if she wanted to press charges, to which she responded affirmatively, expressing concern about the physical confrontation. Jennings, the other Trump supporter, confirmed the encounter and told officers that the push was “pretty forceful.”
During questioning, the elderly woman expressed her desire to talk to people of color who support Trump, stating, “I’m definitely not a racist.” However, when he added that he wanted to warn “brown-skinned” people about Trump’s policies, one officer noted: “That’s a little racist if you’re targeting certain people.” The suspect denied any specific targeting.
After her arrest, the woman was booked into the Snohomish County Jail on suspicion of a hate crime and assault. At a probable cause hearing Tuesday, she was released on personal bond, according to a spokesperson for the Snohomish County Prosecutor’s Office.
Reflecting on the incident, Powell shared with Seattle staff KOMO, ABC affiliate“I’m still in shock.” He added: “He made it very clear that it was my skin color,” underlining his dismay at the experience.