Richard Collins, a young ROTC grad from Bowie State, was killed when visiting friends. The group was waiting for an Uber ride outside a dorm when Sean Urbanski, a UMD student, approached the group and told them to step aside. When they said no, Collins was knifed in the chest. Surveillance cameras caught the incident.
"…Police said initially there was no indication that race played a role. But University Police Chief David Mitchell said information about the Facebook group was brought to their attention on Sunday.
The group, called “Alt-Reich Nation,” contained racist posts, he said.
“When I look at the information that’s contained on that website, suffice it to say that it’s despicable, it shows extreme bias against women, Latinos, persons of Jewish faith and especially African-Americans,” Mitchell said…"
Yes, he was AA and was scheduled to graduate today from college. He was also just commissioned as a Lt. and was out catching an Uber with friends after celebrating. Minding his business. Race relations on campuses are mirroring the madness of the rest of the country and students are getting emboldened while the administrations provide platitudes but no real consequences. There was the incident at American with the racial slurs written on bananas after an AA female student was elected President. It just shows that bigotry and racism knows no social economic status or educational level. These are supposed to be our future leaders.
Bowie State’s graduation is held at UMD and it’s today. Some Bowie students have expressed safety concerns about going to UMD for the graduation.
Today’s WaPo quotes the accused’s attorney as saying alcohol and drugs may have played a role in this. Obviously he’s trying to shift away from the hate crime narrative, but think that ship sailed.
The fact that they are now focusing on alcohol and drugs as “mitigation” is just another facet of ingrained racism. If he was a brown person, that would not even be discussed. Do you know how many folk are locked up who did crimes while they were high or drunk? If that were a defense, the prisons would be almost empty. This saddens me and and makes my blood boil at the same time.
I want to add that this is a loss for our country as well. Here was a smart man, with what is reported to be great leadership skills, wanting to go into military intelligence rather than industry. Heaven knows we could have used him.
@Tperry1982 : Focusing on alcohol and drugs as mitigation in homicide cases is nothing new, especially when there’s no question that the defendant was there and doing the things that killed another person, and no good evidence of self-defense. Alcohol and drugs can, sometimes, support a verdict of second- or third-degree murder vs. first-degree, with concomitant reductions in minimum sentences. It can be a mitigating factor if the death penalty is being considered. or it, as here, there is a hate crime issue.
I’m not defending it or attacking it, just noting that it’s normal, and it doesn’t mean the prisons will be empty if someone succeeds with the argument.
More demonstration that racism is still alive and well and that even doing everything right provides no protection from it as shown by what happened to this young freshly commissioned Army lieutenant and college graduate full of promise.
A civilian employee of the Anne Arundel County Police Department has been suspended for making a detestable reply comment on a racist Facebook post. I hope they can find a way to fire him. You can’t work with the public if this is in your heart.
I worked in law enforcement and corrections for 32 years. I’ve also learned, especially in today’s climate, not to try to change anyone’s mind when it comes to racism and disparate treatment of people of color. I know what I’ve seen, what I’ve worked with, what has happened to my family and those I love. I don’t need lectures.