- Racist neighbor repeatedly harassed and threatened the elderly Black man
- Neighbor attacked the man from behind, leaving him with severe injuries
- Prosecutors initially failed to investigate the attack as a hate crime
Apparently, being a 70-year-old Black man quietly existing in your own neighborhood was enough to turn one alleged racist into a violent menace.
Brandon Watt, a 39-year-old white man from Newark, New York, has now been indicted after prosecutors accused him of repeatedly targeting his elderly Black neighbor, Johnny White, with racial slurs and threats before allegedly beating him with a two-by-four. According to Atlanta Black Star, a Wayne County grand jury indicted Watt on second-degree assault as a hate crime in connection with the June 23 attack. Watt pleaded not guilty Tuesday. He also faces other charges and could receive up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
The alleged harassment reportedly began weeks earlier. On June 1, White told police that a man had confronted him, threatened him, and used racist slurs. At the time, officers did not identify Watt as the suspect. After White was attacked, investigators allegedly connected Watt to that earlier confrontation.
Then things escalated from racist neighborhood nonsense to outright violence. Police say Watt attacked White from behind as the 70-year-old was retreating toward his side yard, allegedly striking him repeatedly with his fists and a two-by-four. Officers reportedly recovered the bloodied piece of wood at the scene.
White was left with a fractured eye socket, broken nose and broken lower jaw, along with deep cuts, severe facial swelling and injuries to his ears that required stitches. In other words, this was not some neighborhood disagreement that got a little too heated. Prosecutors now allege it was the culmination of weeks of racial harassment directed at an elderly Black man.
And somehow, when Watt was initially arrested, police said the attack was not being investigated as a hate crime, despite the racism that had been alleged during the incident and an earlier confrontation. The Atlanta Black Star reports that the hate-crime designation only came after prosecutors reviewed the case. White told reporters that the experience has been taxing, but said he remains strong. His family also showed up to court in support, with his sister Donna describing him as someone who “doesn’t speak evil” and is about peace.
“It’s been a heck of a burn, stressful mentally, physically, in every way possible,” White said after court. “But thanks to God, my mother, my family, my wife — I’m standing strong.”
Watt, meanwhile, has a stay-away order prohibiting contact with White. Because after allegedly terrorizing an elderly Black neighbor, the least society can demand is that the alleged racist keep his distance.
