Kenneth Pinkney – a Black man – was sentenced to 37 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Roy K. Altman for assaulting a Muslim U.S. Postal Service worker and forcibly removing her hijab.
- Pinkney, 47, from Fort Lauderdale, pleaded guilty to assaulting a federal employee, with a hate crime enhancement under 18 U.S.C. § 111(a) and (b). The victim, a Muslim United States Postal Service worker who wore a hijab, was targeted during her mail delivery in Wilton Manors, Miami.
Further Context: On October 9, 2023, just two days after Hamas’ raid on Israel, the victim was delivering mail while wearing her hijab. Pinkney stared at her aggressively as she drove by in her USPS vehicle.
- Two weeks later, on October 24, 2023, while the victim was on her postal route and delivering mail from her USPS truck, Pinkney approached on a bicycle. He made a hand gesture resembling a firearm, then rode towards her, dismounted, and continued the gesture.
- Pinkney verbally harassed the victim, calling her a “b****” and saying, “If I had a gun” and “go back to your country,” while tapping her on the back of her head with two fingers.
- The nervous victim got back into her USPS truck, but Pinkney continued harassing her. He spat on both the truck and the victim, then reached in to pull her out by her leg. Pinkney entered the truck, grabbed her neck, and pulled off her hijab, revealing her hair.
- The victim, feeling trapped, left the vehicle with Pinkney following her. He shouted insults like “F*** Islam” and “You are a terrorist.” They struggled, and the victim tore Pinkney’s shirt. Pinkney fled but was later arrested.
Why it matters: While White people are often portrayed as the main perpetrators of “hate crimes,” FBI statistics from 2022 reveal that White people are underrepresented compared to other groups.
- Despite being 61.6% of the population White people only make up 51% of known “hate crime” offenders.
- Meanwhile Black people who are only 12.4% of the population make up 21% of known offenders.
- These statistics also lump in offenses ranging from ‘Intimidation,’ to ‘Vandalism of Property’ to ‘Aggravated Assault.’
