Groups Call For Jefferson County DA To Pursue Hate Crime Charges Against Suspect Accused Of Running Over Sikh Man
LAKEWOOD, Colo. (CBS4)- Nearly 30 organizations focused on civil rights, legal advocacy, and cultural awareness have signed a letter released Tuesday calling for the Jefferson County District Attorney to pursue hate crime charges in the assault of Sikh man outside his business. The suspect remains in custody before his next court appearance facing several charges but he has not been charged with bias motivation.
"A customer came into Mr. Lakhwant Singh's store where he started damaging items and repeatedly told Mr. Singh and his wife to 'Go back to your country,'" said Nikki Singh, policy and advocacy manager for the Sikh Coalition. "For the past couple months, Mr. Singh has been in the hospital recovering, he was recently transferred to a rehab facility and he still has a long road ahead to fully recover."
Lakhwant Singh owns Two Angels Liquors and was at the store on the evening of April 29 with his wife. Eric Breemen is accused of running over Mr. Singh and seriously injuring him before driving away, according to court documents. Charges include attempted murder, assault, and assault.
"There's bias motivation here and so we along with other organizations are asking for the Jefferson County District Attorney to file hate crime charges here," Ms. Singh (no relation to the victim) told CBS4.
The Sikh Coalition is the nation's largest civil rights and legal nonprofit group for the community. Sikhism is the fifth largest religion in the world with about 500,000 people practicing in the United States. Their articles of faith are visually distinguishable including a turban and unshorn hair. Singh says this is often a factor that leads to hate crimes, employment discrimination, and school bullying.
"This whole situation has been really challenging, they've been in Colorado for over 20 years, they're small business owners, and this store is their sole source of income," she said of Singh's injuries and the impact on his family. His wife and kids are taking care of the business while he is still recovering more than two months later.
The District Attorney's Office for the First Judicial District said Peter Weir cannot comment on the case as it remains under investigation. But staff told CBS4 that Breemen already faces between 16 to 48 years in prison if he is convicted for current charges.
The Sikh Coalition says that is not enough, the aspect of this case that highlights intolerance must be addressed. Court documents say Breemen incorrectly identified Mr. Singh an "older Arab" when speaking to police. Ms. Singh says this is another example of the evidence to pursue bias motivation charges. Local cases like this incident can inform data on hate crimes that impact state and federal policies. Singh says from 2017 to 2018, hate crimes against the Sikh community increased 200 percent even though these cases are often under reported.
"For us to be able to address hate as a civil rights organization, as a community, it first has to be acknowledged," she said. "It also sends out the larger message out that hate is wrong."
The support of so many local and national organizations is a needed sign of unity to pursue charges that bring awareness to intolerance. The Sikh Coalition is hopeful those charges will be added before the end of the investigation. Breemen's next court appearance is in late July. Singh says the district attorney's office told the coalition they plan to meet with the victim before they close this case. The attention around this assault comes at a time when the country has an increased focus on injustice toward people of color. The coalition hopes it can help to continue the conversation for all marginalized groups.
"As a Sikh community, as an organization are doing whatever we can to stand in solidarity with other communities that are facing hate because we have a shared struggle to fight against discrimination," Singh said.
