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Boone Police arrested a Lenoir man Thursday in connection with a high-profile assault involving an Appalachian State University student that occurred last week.
Ketoine Jamahl Mitchell, 19, turned himself in to Boone Police and was charged with two counts of assault on a female, one count of assault inflicting serious injury and one count of assault with a deadly weapon, police said.
Mitchell was booked into the Watauga County Detention Center.
The assault occurred Saturday at approximately 2:30 a.m. in the parking lot of Brown Heights Apartments, according to a Watauga County Crimestoppers report.
 Mitchell. Photo Courtesy of Boone Police |
Sarabeth Nordstrom and junior exercise science major Erin Johnston were verbally assaulted by a man and two women from the next drive-through lane at Cookout, Johnston said. The three individuals were yelling the word “faggot,” she said.
“It’s almost crazy, because it’s like - is there any other aspect to the story?” Johnston said. “Like, what provoked him? But there’s not, so it’s really hard for me and Sarabeth to wrap our heads around.”
The Honda followed Johnston and Nordstrom to Johnston’s Brown Heights apartment, which is where the physical assault took place, Johnston said.
Nordstrom and Johnston were taken to Watauga Medical Center in an ambulance. Johnston required stitches to her mouth and Nordstrom’s cheekbone was shattered, Johnston said.
“A witness said even when I was coughing up blood, he kept kicking me,” Johnston said.
The community, friends of the victims, the Women’s Center and others have reacted strongly to the attack, Johnston said.
“Support is coming from every angle,” she said. “And I think it’s really awesome how our campus has already started to pull together.”
Currently, North Carolina does not recognize attacks motivated by sexual orientation as hate crimes, according to the General Assembly’s website.
Nordstrom and Johnston have started a petition on change.org to contest North Carolina’s definition of a hate crime.
As of press time, there were 1,000 signatures on the petition.
Mitchell was also found to be wanted in Caldwell County and was charged with two counts of felony larceny.
Mitchell was booked into the Watauga County Detention Center under a $6,000 secure bond. His court date was set for April 17.
For more information on the petition on hate crimes, visit change.org/petitions/amend-nc-hate-crime-laws.
Story: from STAFF REPORTS |
