Matthew Owens Beating Not A Hate Crime, Not Related To Trayvon Martin, Mayor Says

Matthew Owens was allegedly beaten by a vicious mob, after which someone uttered the words, "Now that's justice for Trayvon."

The mayor of Mobile, Ala. said Tuesday that the brutal beating of Matthew Owens was not a hate crime, as new details emerge implicating the victim as the instigator.

About 20 African American adults beat Owens into critical condition on Saturday night after an argument between the victim and some kids at a local basketball court, witnesses said.

One person claimed that Owens spewed racial slurs at the group and even pulled out two knives, according to WPMI.

"It was like kitchen knives," witness David Dinkins told the station. "They were long."

Another witness, Lemicka Whisenhunt, quoted Owens as saying "he's going to lynch all the black kids, he hates black n---ers, he hates that we moved on this street."

Police aren't saying much about the incident Saturday, but they and mayor Sam Jones said the attack is not being investigated as a hate crime, or even a race issue.

"Wait for the facts as far as we’re concerned right now," Jones told Fox 10. "But, I would caution people to not jump to conclusions right now. This is really very divisive in communities throughout the country, and I don't think we have any reason to be divisive here because I don't see any evidence of that."

He said the fact that one of the attackers allegedly said, "Now that's justice for Trayvon" has been "blown out of proportion."

The February death of Trayvon Martin has received international attention after George Zimmerman allegedly killed the 17-year-old boy in what he said was self defense.

Owens reportedly has a long rap sheet in the area, the station reported. He's been booked on charges of assault, domestic violence, harassment and public intoxication in the past.

No arrests have been made in the attack.

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Comments

[Tully McFarland]

08:16 AM on 11/26/2012

Great detective work Andy Campbell.

"It was like kitchen knives," witness David Dinkins told the station. "They were long."

Not corroborated by any other witnesses.

Another witness, Lemicka Whisenhunt, quoted Owens as saying "he's going to lynch all the black kids, he hates black n---ers, he hates that we moved on this street."

Again, not corroborated.

I know you guilty white libs are eager to jump at any justification for the actions of this OBVIOUSLY biased mob attack/attempted lynching due to some warped sense of justice you have about something that happened 50 years ago, but try to look at the facts. This is embarrassing even for you.

[lisaman]

10:47 AM on 11/26/2012

"guilty white libs"?????? My goodness give it a rest. Do you know about the newsletter that showed up on the lawns of the black residents of the neighborhood? Aryan brotherhood newsletters? Also, yes there were more than just the one person who said the guy had knives. The article is not current, look up current info.

[Tully McFarland]

09:21 PM on 12/11/2012

1. No such source exists that corroborates this witness' statements, nice try.
2. Newsletters from the Aryan Brotherhood? I know that's bullsh*t because Aryan Brotherhood is a PRISON gang. Nice try lib.
3. Even if it were true, it has no relevance whatever to this story.

[mickydbuff]

05:47 PM on 07/25/2012

thank god for the 2nd amendment...take advantage of it and join the NRA

[mickydbuff]

05:46 PM on 07/25/2012

i dont believe a word they say

[ignoranceisbliss4most]

06:21 PM on 05/11/2012

If 20 caucasians put a black guy in the hospital regardless of his actions we would be heading towards rodney all over again. The hypocrisy continues.

[Shannon Mays]

07:03 PM on 05/10/2012

not even right if 20 white people jumped a BLACK person theyd all be in jail and every black person in america be screaming HATE CRIME.SO BC WE HAVE A BLACK PRESIDENT WE GONNA LET BLACK PEOPLE GET AWAY WITH EVERYTHING REALLY???

[dbrett480]

04:13 PM on 05/10/2012

I'm sure Owens wasn't exactly innocent in this, but I can't understand how 20 adults can defend their actions in this.

[Free Plaxico]

02:44 PM on 05/11/2012

Article said it was not a hate crime it didn't say that people won't get arrested for assualt. Now if I used the racist that patrol this boards logic the guy was a crimnal anyway so who cares that he got beat down. What about those poor 20 people who beast him down, the media is convicting without a cout.

[bailey1katie]

10:20 PM on 05/07/2012

Due to all of Owens' violent history and long "wrap sheets" of police records, I believe an attorney should be hired on behalf of the children. Mr. Owens probably was on probation at the time he went after several young children with knives. If he makes it out of the hospital, he should be charged for every single child there that he attempted to hunt with knives. I look forward to Mr. Owens being arrested as soon as he is released from the hospital for the crimes he committed.

[dbrett480]

07:50 PM on 05/10/2012

That's quite a leap you made there. I'm sure Owens isn't Mr. Innocent, but I don't see how you can justify a beat down by 20 other adults.

[bailey1katie]

10:04 PM on 05/07/2012

"Owens has a long wrap sheet." Wow! He was so close to massive killing of very young children. That Owens has a VERY violent past. Parents who protected your very young children at that ball game, your parental insticts and fast action saved your children. Owens came prepared for several tragedies.

[bailey1katie]

09:28 PM on 05/07/2012

I believe those very young children when they described for MSNBC the kind of knives Owens came after them with. When I heard what they were saying, I was thankful that their parents took care of matters and made sure none of those babies were butchered. I tell you, after I heard those children describe the venom, anger, and the type of knives that were described (butcher knives it appears) coming after them, I was very upset when I found Owens was not six feet under.

[bobski507]

04:56 PM on 01/31/2013

"babies" ??? did you see those monsters?

[trackindaboxx]

10:31 PM on 05/04/2012

If you play with fire, you get burned. This dude soaked the matches in gasoline.

[bg3]

12:39 PM on 05/03/2012

Mr black mayor, then is it your position they really liked the guy and didnt hate him?

[bailey1katie]

06:44 PM on 05/07/2012

The guy pulled out long kitchen knives at kids. The parents came to their children's defense when they heard all the racist ranting being spewed at their kids while this guy had kitchen knives to children. Sick!

[hiredshoe]

01:20 PM on 05/09/2012

bailey1katie,"The guy pulled out long kitchen knives at kids"do you know this for an aabsolute fact,or are you just spewing?
'

[hiredshoe]

01:22 PM on 05/09/2012

JUSTICE FOR MATHEW OWENS!!!!

[cdhj12000]

06:08 PM on 04/29/2012

This sounds like it's got some racial something or other to do with it. Racism has no color anymore. I suppose it never really did, but I think the only color of the so called "elite" is the color of money, and their gender is definitely male. I wonder how many stories about Trayvon's darker side have not been allowed in mainstream media? Every story makes him appear to be the perfect kid. I highly doubt that, especially these days. Not impossible, but improbable. Reminds me of the gang banger who gets shot to death who's mom cries "why my baby! he was such a good baby!" Bullsh*t. I would love to be proven wrong on this one, but everyone has their dark side and the media hasn't let us see Trayvon's yet. The ratings are too good making George Zimmerman look like a racist murderer. I can hardly tell the difference between the National Enquirer and the New York Times these days.

[jrx238]

09:52 PM on 04/29/2012

Everything about Trayvon has been revealed... it seems people are actively searching for more dirt on the victim than Zimmerman himself....and I'm still wondering why a teen's suspension history has anything to do with the fact that he was murdered on his way home from the store... so he smoked pot therefore he deserved to be stalked and murdered by a paranoid heartless man...? Even if he had a history of rape and violent crime the only thing that matters is what happened that night. Whether or not he was a "perfect kid" is completely irrelevant. And so far the facts are Zimmerman followed a kid that was minding his own business, initiated some kind of confrontation, and he ended up killing said kid. Those things are facts. I also think every speculation about what happened after Zimmerman confronted him who "doubled back" etc is irrelevant too despite that bogus law.

[LeeVing]

03:08 PM on 04/29/2012

Violence is never the answer and I don't advocate it. But it does sound like this man Owens was really asking for it and got what he asked for.

[bailey1katie]

06:46 PM on 05/07/2012

The parents saved their children from a hate ranting racist who had kitchen knives in hand at the kids.

[Whittleigh]

02:56 AM on 04/29/2012

I left a comment regarding some particularly insulting racial remarks made by another poster. My comment certainly was not against the rules but apparently one that some "badge" did not agree with - so it appears the comment has been lost. Ha!

Every time I see comments using derogatory words to define African-Americans, I wish Minny Jackson (The Help) could serve them up a nice double helping of her Chocolate pie!

[ChicagoBlackRainbowWomen]

01:15 AM on 04/29/2012

Now this is believable.