Montana man facing up to 5 years in prison for allegedly shoving another man, telling him ‘go back to your country’
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HELENA, Mont. (Courtroom Insider) — A Montana man has been charged with a felony after allegedly shoving a man of Indian descent and telling him to “go back to his country.”
Jaxton Tayte Collins, 21, is facing one misdemeanor count of assault and one felony count of malicious intimidation or harassment of civil or human rights.
Collins pleaded “not guilty” to the charges at his arraignment on Oct. 26, according to The Gateway Pundit.
On Aug. 7, law enforcement officers were dispatched to downtown Helena, The Post Millennial reports. The caller told dispatchers he or she was walking with a friend — the alleged victim — who is of Indian descent and wears a head covering. While walking downtown, the caller said they were approached by a man, who then shoved the victim with both hands and told him to “go back to his country.”
The outlet reports the man, later identified by police as Collins, was located by officers. They said he told them he had been drinking at a nearby bar.
When asked about the incident, Collins police said admitted to shouting at the victim “to go back to his own country because he was angry.” Collins, however, denied ever shoving the victim, according to the Post Millennial.
Prosecutors charged Collins under Montana’s malicious intimidation or harassment statute, which addresses offenses motivated by race, religion, national origin or other factors.
Montana Code Annotated 45-5-221 reads: “A person commits the offense of malicious intimidation or harassment when, because of another person’s race, creed, religion, color, national origin, or involvement in civil rights or human rights activities, the person purposely or knowingly, with the intent to terrify, intimidate, threaten, harass, annoy, or offend;
- ”(a) causes bodily injury to another;
- ”(b) causes reasonable apprehension of bodily injury in another; or
- ”(c) damages, destroys, or defaces any property of another or any public property.”
If found guilty of the charges against him, Collins may face up to five years in prison and may be required to pay fines of up $5,000.