Driver faces hate crime charge after pulling knife on Black man, Oregon officials say

An Oregon man was charged with a hate crime in connection with a road rage incident in which he was accused of threatening a Black man with a knife, smashing his car window, slashing his tire, and calling him a racial slur.

The incident occurred when Christopher Steven King, 34, and the alleged victim were driving on June 29. King reportedly became upset with the other man’s driving and hit the man’s car with his own, the Associated Press reported. The driver pulled over to take pictures of King’s car to report him, and King exited his vehicle with a knife in hand, My Central Oregon reported.

King is accused of making comments, including racial slurs, about hurting the other driver, media outlets report. The driver retreated, and King broke the rear window of his car and punctured one of the tires, My Central Oregon reported.

King drove off but was found by Bend police. He faces five counts, including first-degree bias crime, unlawful use of a weapon, first-degree criminal mischief, failure to perform the duties of a driver and menacing, The Bend Bulletin reported.

This story was originally published October 13, 2021 at 7:18 PM with the headline "Driver faces hate crime charge after pulling knife on Black man, Oregon officials say."