White Teen Charged With Attempted Murder For Racially Motivated Drowning Attack On Black Child

A 14-year-old white teenager has been indicted on an attempted murder charge after he allegedly held a Black child underwater several times as the boy called out for help and yelled that he could not swim. According to NBC News, the teenager also faces an assault with a deadly weapon charge as the incident is considered “racially motivated.”

The suspect and another teenage accomplice allegedly threw rocks at the Black child, called him a racial slur, and referred to him as George Floyd after he said he couldn’t breathe at Goose Pond in Chatham, Massachusetts, on July 19. According to NBC News, the incident would only end when a passersby intervened. “Water went into my mouth and my nose and I could not breathe,” the victim said in a statement. “So I shouted out that I can’t breathe over and over and tried to get his hand off me.” The boy was lured to the pond under the guise of friendship; however, upon arrival, he was told to ride his bike into the water. The suspect began throwing rocks at the boy, forcing him into the water, and then proceeded to dunk him repeatedly until he grew tired and frightened for his life. The victim allegedly told both suspects that he could not swim several times but was met with threats and racial slurs, including “n***a.” After dunking him four or five times, the victim says they “started laughing and called me George Floyd, obviously making fun of me and showing NO remorse.”

Witnesses of the incident corroborated the victim’s story, and one who stepped in to intervene claims that the 14-year-old suspect “was sneering and had a grin on his face.”

Officials in the town allege that the attack is not a proper reflection of the safe and welcoming environment they’ve worked to foster. “We do not believe that it reflects the true nature of our community, which is diverse and inclusive,” the Chatham Select Board said in a statement. “We condemn all acts of violence, particularly those directed at children. Our thoughts are with the victim and their family, and we are here to support them in any way we can moving forward.”