A recent ruling by an appeals court confirmed the trial court’s conviction of a man who racially harassed a Black police officer, during which he donned a white hood and used a racial slur against her.
In May, Trenton Whitaker-Blakey received a 30-month prison sentence after being convicted of felony intimidation following an incident involving a Black female officer in Muncie, Indiana, on January 18.
As revealed in court documents, the police officer, attired in “business casual” clothing with her “gun and badge” displayed over her blouse, parked her unmarked vehicle in the city hall parking lot. As she stepped out of the vehicle, a man unexpectedly emerged from behind a marked police car located about 10 feet from her position.
A man, later identified by authorities as Whitaker-Blakey, was seen wearing a backpack and a white hood with eye holes cut out. He moved a little nearer to the Black officer and then used the offensive term.
According to court documents, following the incident, she proceeded to her office and informed her supervisor about what had occurred.
Following a review of surveillance footage, authorities tracked down Whitaker-Blakey later that day. He admitted to using the offensive term and donning the hood, which was identified as a pillowcase. He explained that he wore the hood solely due to the cold weather and asserted that the slur was not aimed at the Black officer, but rather at a group of white men nearby.
Whitaker-Blakey acknowledged attending a “meeting” with a group known for its white supremacist views, but he clarified that he was not affiliated with any such organization.
In the course of the trial involving Whitaker-Blakey, the officer recounted that the white hood bore a striking resemblance to a hood associated with a notorious hate group, prompting her to reflect on the historical violence and atrocities faced by Black individuals, including lynchings and other horrific acts.
At the sentencing of the 27-year-old, Judge Douglas Mawhorr remarked that the situation involving Whitaker-Blakey and the officer suggested that he aimed to instill a sense of fear, as if he intended to harm her, provoke a struggle, or compel her to act against her own will in self-defense. That’s the reason it posed a danger.
The court dismissed Whitaker-Blakey’s assertion that he donned a white hood due to the cold, as well as his claim that the slur was aimed at anyone other than the Black officer.
Whitaker-Blakey contested the conviction, claiming that the evidence was “insufficient” to demonstrate that he meant for the officer to be “placed in fear that the threat would be carried out.”
The Indiana Court of Appeals dismissed his appeal with a unanimous 3-0 ruling on December 11, indicating that his conduct demonstrated a clear intention to unlawfully harm the officer.
Following the dismissal of the appeal, Delaware County Prosecutor Eric Hoffman issued a statement, describing the details of this case as “very disturbing” and emphasizing that “bigotry, hatred, and intolerance have no place in our society.”