Accused allegedly shouted racial slurs, including ‘White power’ during attack.
By Raif Karerat
The FBI has launched a civil rights investigation into what could be a possible federal hate crime committed in Bloomington, Indiana, this weekend.
Triceten Bickford, a 19-year-old Indiana University sophomore, is accused of attacking a Muslim woman Saturday night outside a café and yelling racial slurs and strangling her.
“He started to yell ‘White power,’ couple times he yelled ‘White power, White power,’ very loud,†the victim, who asked not to be identified, told NBC affiliate WTHR.
“I found him at my neck, like pushing me down, squeezing my neck, and putting my head to the table,†she continued. “That never happened in my life. He pulled my scarf off, and, if I didn’t grab his hands, he could have killed me,” said the 47-year-old Turkish immigrant.
Bickford also spit in the faces of the victim’s husband and passers-by, threatened to kill them and arriving officers, tried to kick out the windows of a patrol car and bit an officer on the calf after arriving at the Monroe County Jail, according to CBS News.
Officers administered a blood alcohol test and Bickford’s BAC was 0.195, reported CBS affiliate WTTV.
He was arrested on Saturday, Oct. 18 and subsequently released on $500 bond and returned to class Monday.
Bickford told WTHR that he has no memory of the incident and that a combination of drinking alcohol and not taking anti-anxiety medication caused him to “snap.”
“I am so sorry to that woman,” Bickford told the TV station. “I have no idea who she is, but words can’t explain how much that … I’ve never hurt someone like that before.”
Brickford is slated to make an appearance in court on Oct. 23, where he’ll face six charges including intimidation and felonies for strangulation and battery on a police officer.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Indiana University announced Monday that they will be launching their own investigation into the attack: “Indiana University is aware of the horrifying incident involving one of our students and a member of the Bloomington Muslim community over the weekend.
This type of abhorrent behavior is not representative of our students, nor of the culture of inclusion and tolerance so many people at the university and in the Bloomington community have worked so hard to foster.
The university is closely monitoring the Bloomington Police investigation into this matter, and IU Bloomington Provost Lauren Robel has instructed the Dean of Students’ office to conduct its own investigation into the incident.â€