Florida Man Charged with Hate Crime for Alleged Attack on Hijab-Wearing Postal Worker

Kenneth Jerome Pinkney, 47, faces up to 15 years in prison after allegedly assaulting a Muslim postal worker, marking a disturbing rise in hate crimes following recent turmoil in the Middle East.

Kenneth Jerome Pinkney, a 47-year-old man in Florida, was charged with a hate crime for allegedly assaulting a hijab-wearing postal worker.
Pinkney allegedly made a shooting gesture at the postal worker, ripped off her hijab, and assaulted her physically, telling her to 'go back to her country'.
The postal worker sustained scratches and a bloody mouth, and while she tried to get back into her USPS truck, Pinkney allegedly attempted to grab her leg.
Pinkney was arrested and charged with battery and 'evidencing prejudice while committing an offense' based on his remarks about 'the victim’s ancestry, religion, and national origin', a felony hate crime.
The charge came amidst a reported rise in violence against Muslims and Jews in the U.S., following the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel and the Israeli bombardment of Gaza.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations' Florida chapter welcomed the hate crime charge against Pinkney and expressed their dedication to stand against all forms of bigotry.