PORT ANGELES — Port Angeles police have recommended both felony and misdemeanor charges to the Clallam County Prosecutor’s Office following an investigation into an alleged egging incident that occurred during a weekend protest.
Port Angeles Police Sgt. Tom Kuch said Monday the report recommends a malicious harassment charge, a felony classified as a hate crime, because a man allegedly used anti-gay slurs toward demonstrators as he drove by a Black Lives Matter protest Saturday in front of the Clallam County Courthouse.
According to protesters’ statements to police and a video posted online, a man in a Ford F-150 pickup drove by protesters on Lincoln Street at about 6 p.m. and threw eggs, reportedly hitting at least three people. One of the people allegedly hit with eggs was holding a sign in favor of LGBTQ rights.
Malicious harassment is a Class C felony with a maximum sentence of five years in prison. Kuch said he also recommended three charges of fourth-degree assault — each a misdemeanor — against the driver.
No arrests have been made.
Michele Devlin, the chief criminal deputy prosecutor for Clallam County, said she has asked police for additional information before she makes a decision on possible charges.
The vehicle is registered to a Clallam Bay address, Kuch said.
The Peninsula Daily News is not naming the suspect because he has not been charged with a crime.
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Sports editor Pierre LaBossiere can be reached by email at plabossiere@peninsuladailynews.com.
