Baltimore bus beating

The Baltimore bus beating is an assault that occurred in Baltimore, Maryland on December 4,2007 on a Maryland Transit Administration bus. Four people were attacked, including the bus operator, and nine youths - all between 14 and 15 and students of the Robert Poole Middle School - have been charged. Because all nine of the suspects are African-American and three of the four victims are white (except for the bus operator) the incident is being investigated as a hate crime.

The incident

Shortly before 3 pm local time, the number 27 bus left the Robert Poole Middle School, bound for Port Covington in South Baltimore. It is what is called a "tripper" route, that is, a route designated for use by local school students to return home, though ordinary passengers may board on the route as well.

At some point on either West 36th Street or Chestnut Avenue, Sarah Kreager and her boyfriend Troy Ellis boarded. Kreager and Ellis attempted to find empty seats, but when they located one at the rear of the bus, one of the suspects refused to allow her to sit. At this point, the accounts become contradictory, one of the suspects says that Kreager spat at one of the female suspects and used the N-word, and Ellis produced a knife. Kreager, in an interview after the incident, firmly denies uses either spitting or using the epithet. At this point, the suspects attacked Kreager and Ellis, the bus halted after rounding the corner of West 33rd Street and Chestnut Avenue, and the operator called the Maryland Transit Administration Police for assistance. After this, an unidentified senior citizen on board attempted to intervene, as did the operator, the operator was also attacked and the passenger threatened. During the melee, the bus' rear exit door, one rear window and two seats were damaged. Kreager was thrown off the bus by the suspects with injuries to her face. Ellis attempted to get her back on board, at this point the MTA police arrived. Their statement contains no mention of any spitting or use of racial epithets. The suspects have been arraigned, charged with aggravated assault and destruction of property, were released to their parents' custody for a hearing on January 82008. Because they are being charged as juveniles, they have not been publicly identified by the media, except for one suspect, Britny Carter, who said that Kreager did spit but denies any racial hostility was involved.

Kreager was hospitalized at Maryland Shock Trauma with what the police report says were two broken bones in her left eye socket, two deep cuts on the top of her head and other cuts on her neck and back. Her face was bruised and her left eye was swollen shut. No other victims or suspects needed to be hospitalized. Officials, concerned for her safety, have placed Kreager in witness protection.

Reaction

Maryland media has featured the story prominently, and the national media quickly picked up the story as well. The story has spurred discussions of race relations, particularly the differences, real or perceived, in media coverage and outcry when the victim of a racial hate-crime is white. While the national media has addressed the story, it is more widely discussed online through discussion groups and blogs. The story received particular attention from right-wing bloggers, most notably Michelle Malkin. And, the "Stop the ACLU" website posted it prominently.

Second incident
On December 10, 2007 Patrick Green and Robert Rothe, both white were assaulted by a group of young African-American men on the Number 64 Bus in South Baltimore. Green and Rothe believe the crime was racially motivated.

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