Sikh Coalition Disappointed by Failure to Indict Turban Attacker with a Hate Crime

ROSEBERG, Ore., March 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Sikh Coalition is disappointed that a Douglas County, Oregon grand jury declined to indict three men for committing a hate crime when they tore off and stole a Sikh trucker's turban. The Coalition learned yesterday that the grand jury instead chose to indict the men on the lesser charges of harassment and theft in the third degree.

Baljeet Singh of Jamaica, N.Y., suffered a broken nose and a fractured jaw Monday night as he was walking to a gurdwara when a man, who was shouting profanities and called him an Arab, punched him in the face, a United Sikhs spokesman said. His attacker, David C. Wood, who lives next door to gurdwara, was arrested Tuesday for felony hate crime assault, according to court records. Wood has not posted all of his $10,000 bond and is still being held by the police.