Ethan Dickerson Decatur Illinois teen bludgeons neighbor with pipe wrench and attempts to kill them for being gay. Charged with hate crimes.
An Illinois teen is alleged to have savagely beaten and attempting to kill a local Decatur man after taking exception to their sexuality.
”You know why I have to do this. … You’re gay. … You’re evil … I’m going to kill you,” a Decatur police affidavit quoted Ethan Dickerson, 19, telling the victim in response to questions about why they were being attacked.
The victim who was not identified was described as being a 60-year-old homeowner and living next door to the teen AP reported.
Following the attack on the ‘gay’ neighbor, Dickerson faced preliminary charges of attempted first-degree murder, aggravated battery, aggravated unlawful restraint, home invasion, and a hate crime. Preliminary charges are subject to review by the state’s attorney’s office according to the Herald and Review.
According to the affidavit cited by WAND-TV, police were dispatched to a local Decatur home approximately 5:30 p.m. Thursday following reports of someone breaking out a window of a residence.
‘You’re evil!’
Upon arrival, the officer saw the broken window and heard an individual’s voice from inside calling for help, the affidavit said.
After identifying himself by calling out, the officer could only hear screaming and pleas for help which prompted the officer to kick the front door down.
Once inside, the officer said that they saw Dickerson, who was covered in blood, immediately drop to his knees to be taken into custody.
Police found the victim in the kitchen area of the residence with multiple lacerations to his head and a ‘significant’ amount of blood on himself and the floor.
Police found a pipe wrench on the ground and strands of duct tape, covered in blood, on a chair and the floor the affidavit stated.
The victim said he was lying in bed when heard the glass on his front window shatter and got out of his bed to find Dickerson coming toward him, according to the affidavit.
Dickerson then started hitting him in the head, face and body with the pipe wrench.
The victim said Dickerson duct-taped his wrists and mouth shut and forced him into a chair in the kitchen, where he was duct-taped to the chair.
Dickerson then continued to beat him with the wrench and repeating why he was inflicting the wounds, the victim said.
The affidavit said the victim was able to free himself when Dickerson went to the front porch to get a ‘cake.’
When he came back inside, the two wrestled over the wrench until Dickerson got behind the victim, put the wrench across his neck and choked him.
The affidavit said the struggle continued until the responding officer kicked the door in and arrested Dickerson.
The victim was taken to a hospital for treatment of the non-life threatening injuries that required multiple stitches. Dickerson remains held on $1 million bail.
The incident follows a recent report from the FBI which documented hate crimes dramatically rising in the US.
Stats included: 7759 hate crimes reported in 2020, a 6% increase from 2019. 2, 755 crimes against blacks, and 274 crimes against Asians.
