A black woman in Maryland is facing hate crime charges after police say she declared her hate for “white people” before attacking two white passengers on board a moving bus in Gaithersburg.
According to WJLA-TV, 24-year-old Kimberly Jordan of Silver Spring, Md., was on a Ride On bus around 9 p.m. Monday when she allegedly began to stare at two white passengers as she murmured, “I hate white people.”
Jordan then allegedly got out of her seat a short time later and hit a white female passenger in the face. When the woman’s white male companion tried to intervene, Jordan allegedly hit him in the face, too.
Both victims suffered minor injuries. The man had a long cut on his nose, and the woman had defensive wounds on her palms.
Jordan reportedly fled the bus after the incident, but police found her about a quarter-mile away. She initially told police that the white woman had struck her first, according to authorities, but the Ride On surveillance footage contradicted that claim.
Police said that Jordan was initially remorseful for her actions, but that she also claimed she was off her meds. When an officer told her that being off her meds was no excuse for her actions, Jordan reportedly said, “I know.”
She is charged with racial harassment, obstructing and second-degree assault. If convicted, she faces up to 13 years in prison.
She is scheduled to appear in Montgomery County District Court on July 12 and currently has no defense counsel, according to court documents.