A Massachusetts man accused of saying “Go back to China” to a family of Asian descent and then hitting one of them twice with his car was released with conditions at a court hearing Thursday.
John Sullivan, 77, of Quincy, was deemed dangerous by a judge but was placed on home confinement with GPS monitoring, with exceptions for medical and court appointments. He is also prohibited from driving.
Sullivan had been held without bail since his initial arrest on December 2.
He previously pleaded not guilty to charges including assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, leaving the scene of a motor vehicle collision causing personal injury and violating civil rights. On Thursday he pleaded not guilty to an additional charge of assault and battery to intimidate based on race, a hate crime.
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Sullivan’s attorney, Patrick Donovan, said he strongly denies the allegations.
“This is appalling what has happened to him,” Donovan said in a telephone interview.
According to the police account of events, Sullivan was driving near the post office in the city south of Boston late on the morning of December 2 when he exchanged words with a group of pedestrians apparently annoyed by his speed.
Sullivan then allegedly said “Go back to China,” before hitting a 38-year-old man who was with his sister and three children with his vehicle and driving about 50 yards with the man on the hood of the car.
A Massachusetts man who was accused of committing a hate crime has been released from prison with conditions.
(FoxNews)
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Sullivan again said “Go back to China” and punched the man a second time, this time throwing him into a construction ditch, according to police.
He fled but was arrested shortly after.
Police called an ambulance but the man was not transported. His sister told the media that he suffered a concussion and other injuries.
Sullivan’s attorney said there is no evidence of a hate crime, and an eyewitness who made a recording of the events did not hear his client say what he is accused of saying.
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“The video does not portray what the alleged victim said happened,” he said.
He also said his client’s car barely moved when he hit the man, who had been hitting it so hard it left dents.
