BELLINGHAM, Wash. — Another local case is being investigated as a hate crime.
37-year-old Nicholas Karis reportedly called police to the 1000 block of North State Street on December 19 to report he had been beaten up.
But according to Lieutenant Claudia Murphy, witnesses told police that Karis made negative racial comments towards another man and then flicked his cigarette at him, which led to a fist fight.
Murphy says the BPD has investigated 19 suspected bias incidents this year, and so far five have met the requirements of the Hate Crime Offense statute.