A white woman has been charged with a hate crime after she attacked two Hispanic women who were showing support for Donald Trump, according to police.
The 82-year-old woman was arrested on Tuesday in Washington state after she allegedly approached the two women and asked them why they would support Trump, given the color of their skin.
‘I approached her, and I said I want to know why you’re voting for Trump. That’s the only thing. And. And I said because you’re brown-skinned,’ Powell told police, according to KOMO News.
The woman has not been charged but a judge found probable cause for a hate crime offense, as well as two counts of fourth-degree assault. She has not been named.
Gina Powell and Mary Jennings say they were waving Trump flags with a group of fellow supporters of the Republican on a corner in Edmonds when the woman approached them.
‘I was just shocked at just the presence of mind, and she made it very clear it was my skin color,’ Powell said.
‘And that’s when she shoved me, pushed me back, and I said don’t touch me. And then not even a second, she just popped me right in my chin.’
Powell told 770 KTTH the woman was particularly upset at her shirt, which read: ‘Pro-God, pro-guns, pro-life, pro-Trump.’
The arrested woman told police her response was to push Powell away and admitted she put her hand on her chin and pushed on her shoulder, but insisted it ‘wasn’t hard.’
Jennings then stepped in to separate the women, and ended up allegedly getting punched, too.
‘I said you have no right to touch anyone, and she goes all I did was all it was barely like this, and she punched me,’ Jennings said.
‘But she connected, and you know, it slammed my jaw shut,’ Jennings said.
Bodycam footage captured the moments after the altercation as police arrived on the scene and the accused woman explained herself.
It shows the white-haired woman being handcuffed as she’s led into a police car
Powell and Jennings say they are physically okay after the altercation but the experience has been emotional] for them.
An emotional Powell said she has not been able to work yet and is still in shock.