A white 14-year-old has been charged with trying to drown a Black teen on Cape Cod in an attack that the police have labeled racially motivated.
In connection with an incident that happened on July 19 at Goose Pond in Chatham, Massachusetts, John Sheeran, 14, has been charged with attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon.
The accused victim, a Black man, said that Sheeran repeatedly dove him into the water despite the fact that he was unable to swim and required a life jacket.
The alleged victim said that Sheeran nicknamed him “George Floyd” and laughed during the assault.
The victim’s statement was supported by two witnesses at the pond, both of whom witnessed Sheeran standing over the victim in the water.
All parties engaged in this crime are minors, including any witnesses, although Sheeran has only been charged as a youthful offender.
His attorney has stated that the accusations are unjustified and that the incident was the consequence of “horseplay” gone awry.
The Monomoy Regional School District and the Town of Chatham’s Select Board both issued comments denouncing the act of violence and reiterating their dedication to diversity and inclusion as a result of the case’s widespread concern in the community.
