Rockford police: Hate crime charges could be coming in fatal Walmart stabbing
Authorities are discussing whether to pursue hate crime charges after police say a 28-year-old Illinois man stabbed and killed a Northridge Drive Walmart employee, Rockford Police Chief Carla Redd has confirmed.
Rockford Police Department officers arrested Timothy Carter of Cabery on charges of first-degree murder. They say Carter stabbed 18-year-old Jason Jenkins of Rockford about 6 p.m. Sunday once in the back with one of two knives he had picked up while walking through the aisles of the Walmart.
Surveillance footage appeared to show Carter, a white man, "wandering around the store and giving all the African American people dirty looks," a police officer wrote in a probable cause statement.
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An employee told police she heard Jenkins scream after he was stabbed. She saw Carter holding a knife and heard him cuss at Jenkins, who is Black, and refer to him using a racial slur.
A decision on whether to bring hate crime and other charges will be made in coming weeks as Rockford Police Department investigators work with the Winnebago County State's Attorney's Office.
Jeff Kolkey writes about government, economic development and other issues for the Rockford Register Star. He can be reached at (815) 987-1374, via email at jkolkey@rrstar.com and on Twitter @jeffkolkey.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Suspect in Rockford Walmart stabbing used racial slur during attack
