A Man Will Serve 5 Years In Prison For A Hate Crime Attack On A Black Teen With A Bike Lock

A Michigan man was sentenced to five years in prison on Thursday for a hate crime attack on a Black teenager, the Department of Justice announced.

Lee Mouat, 43, pleaded guilty in March to two federal hate crimes charges, admitting to hitting 18-year-old Devin Freelon, Jr. in the face with a bike lock, knocking out several of his teeth, and causing severe injury to his face, for racially motivated reasons, and attempting to attack another Black teenager who was with Freelon.

On June 6, 2020, Mouat, who was intoxicated, was leaving Lake Erie Sterling State Park with his family when he saw Freelon and a group of friends, all of whom were Black, in the park’s parking lot.

According to court documents, Mouat began yelling racial slurs at the group of teens and announced his desire to get into a fight.

Mouat then approached Freelon and his friends, calling them the n-word, saying they “don’t belong at this beach” and that “Black lives don’t matter.”

When one of the teens asked Mouat to stop cursing and using racial slurs, he apologized and then went to his vehicle and retrieved a heavy, metal bike lock and returned to the group, saying, “I’ve got something for you.”

Mouat then struck Freelon in the face with the lock, knocking out three teeth and causing extensive lacerations to his face and jaw.