Beacon Hill Man Charged With Hate Crime in Attacks
A Beacon Hill man accused of attacking several black Seattle residents earlier this month has been charged with committing a hate crime.
King County prosecutors contend Eric P. Gibbs shouted racist slurs and attacked at least three people on Aug. 1. Gibbs, 37, is alleged to have tried to force his way into one man’s home while stealing the mobile phone from a bystander, whom he is also alleged to have accosted.
At 10 a.m. the day of the incident, Seattle police were called to the intersection of Beacon Avenue South and South Vern Court following a report of a man blocking traffic there.
Officers arrived to find Gibbs fighting with another man, a Seattle detective told the court. An officer physically restrained Gibbs, who is alleged to have continued yelling racist slurs at the other man.
As it turned out, police believe that man was actually the second man attacked by Gibbs that morning because of his skin color.