Police in Grand Junction, Colorado say a man followed a TV reporter back to his station, then tackled him and attempted to strangle him.
Officers arrested Patrick Egan, 39, on charges of bias motivated crimes, second degree assault, and harassment.
The victim has been identified by CBS News as Reporter Ja’Ronn Alex of KKCO-TV, an NBC station that would only confirm the victim is a reporter.
Alex reportedly is Pacific Islander.
A police affidavit quoted by Denver 7 quoted Egan as saying ““Are you even a U.S. citizen? This is Trump’s America now! I’m a Marine, and I took an oath to protect this country from people like you!”
According to KKCO, Egan was driving a Sunshine Rides Taxi at the time of the attack.
The general manager of the taxi service told the station “This type of behavior has no place in our society and I strongly condemn it. I deeply regret the harm and disruption this has caused the victim, his family and co-workers. Sunshine Rides has suspended Egan pending a full investigation, will assist law enforcement and will use this incident to re-emphasize our core values and expectations with our entire team.”
Egan is scheduled to appear in court on January 2. Bail has been set at $20,000.
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