Alleged attack on transgender teens in La Crosse labeled hate crime
LA CROSSE (WKBT) — A man accused of attacking a transgender couple in a La Crosse park has been charged with a hate crime.
The La Crosse District Attorney’s Office filed an amended complaint against Travis Crawford, 40, adding a hate crime modifier to the substantial battery charge he was already facing.
Crawford was accused of interrupting a teen couple who were having fun together in Copeland Park on July 20 and hitting a 17-year-old transgender boy in the face, causing severe damage to his nose. Witnesses reported he called the teens a slur for gay men.
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Read the complaint here: Criminal Complaint – County_1 – Crawford, Travis D; 2021CF000554; Crawford, Travis D_2522918_1
Seventeen-year-old Jax Gross talked to News 8 Now last week about the incident. See more here.
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A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Aug. 12 at 11 a.m.
Community members spoke out last month after the incident, saying it should have been charged as a hate crime. Even La Crosse Mayor Mitch Reynolds called upon lawmakers to ensure the statute would protect transgender people.
This is a developing story.
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