A white Mississippi man has been arrested after attempting to run nine African-American children over in his vehicle as they rode their bicycles. The man taped himself “menacing” the teens, calling them derogatory racial slurs and later posting it on social media to share with his followers.
The 8-second video, filmed on Sunday, July 24, starts with Mark Hall saying, “Aw, hell, 50 points,” a term referencing video games, like Unreal Tournament 2004, Dead Rising, or RoadKill, that rewards players with points for running over people for sport.
The 49-year-old seemed giddy in a video when he saw the group of Black boys riding their bikes in the middle of the Ripley, Mississippi, street through his cracked windshield. He deliberately rides in the middle of them, without honking or asking them to move out the way. Instead, he lets out a full belly laugh and calls them “stupid n##gers.”
He posted the clip on his Snapchat profile.
According to Fox 13, on Tuesday, July 26, parents assembled at the Ripley Police Department to demand action be taken against Hall for the incident which happened over the weekend on Cooper Street.
The RPD heard their demands, arresting the man on nine charges of simple assault, accounting for all of the victims cycling that day. He has also been hit with one count of attempting by physical menace to create fear.
Ripley District Attorney Bart Adams spoke on the arrest, Desoto County News reports:
“Part of this (investigation) is ongoing and I cannot comment on any part of the ongoing investigation,” Adams revealed. “But Mr. Hall is charged with nine counts of simple assault. He’s currently being held and will face arraignment within 48 hours, where a reasonable bond will be set.”
Based on Mississippi law regarding simple assault, Hall, the 6ft and 350lb man, faces a maximum fine of $4500 and 54 months in jail. He could be sentenced to pay both the fine and serve the time.
Victim Jeremiah Crum alleges he was not just spooked by Hall’s antics but says his bike was clipped by his truck. If this pans out, one of the simple assault charges will be upgraded to a felony.
Adams said his office is investigating the claim but says he believes the boy is telling the truth.
He said, “I 100 percent believe Jeremiah (Crum) when he said Mr. Hall hit his bike. But I don’t know if we can prove it. If a felony charge is added that will be handled by District Attorney Ben Creekmore and his office.”
Ripley Police Chief Scott White said he is working for Adams to have the charge elevated.
One of the boys’ fathers, Willie Hill, said being chased off the road is the last thing these children or their parents should have been concerned about during the summer break. There should be other kid-appropriate things on their minds.
“I shouldn’t be worrying about if they should be worried about being run off the road,” Hill said. “They should be worried about the next big game or worried about prom. These are the things our kids should be worried about.
Clarence Holmes, another parent, said, “He could have hurt those guys. He could have killed somebody or anything, but he had no regard for those Black lives that were out there.”
“We are living in a time that is supposed to be progressive,” he continued, adding, “We are supposed to be progressive people, but we are still dealing with the same things that we were dealing with back when my grandparents and great grandparents were around.”
As a city, Ripley is a small town of 5,362 residents, with a relatively diverse population. According to the 2020 U.S. Census, a little over half of the residents identify as white and 30 percent of the citizens are of African descent. About 18 percent of the people are Hispanic, and a bit under 8 percent of the people say they are of mixed race.
Still, Hall, a resident, used a term indicating his lack of tolerance for Black people.
Clarence’s son, Jakai said, “It wasn’t right, we are just trying to go around and be kids and ride our bikes around the neighborhood and be together and it’s sad that people will try to take your fun away from you,”
Sixteen-year-old victim Curt Cohea agreed that it wasn’t right, sharing, “We weren’t harming anybody. We were just riding around town and getting some exercise on our off day from sports to stay in shape for school.”
Parents are asking if Hall can be hit with a hate crime since he used the word “n##ger” after the altercation.
Adams clarified how hate crimes are viewed, determined, and processed by his office.
“A lot of people think a ‘hate crime’ is a separate charge. But a hate crime is not a separate charge,” Adams informed. “It’s an enhancement to the penalties of what the person is already charged with.”
“We have to let the person know at the time they are being processed or our intention to seek that enhancement, and Mr. Hall has been notified that we are seeking that enhancement. All the parents have copies of the statutes and we’ve explained the process,” he continued.
Chief White said while the DA is investigating the hate crime possibility, his department has already reached out to the federal district attorney’s office for its input.
Hall was booked into the Tippah County jail on Monday, July 25, and was later given a bond of $45,000.
