MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich. (FOX 2) - A 55-year-old man has been charged with trying to run down volunteers giving out presidential campaign materials, and making threats targeting sexual orientations.
Jason Lynch Lafond has been charged with three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, a four-year felony and three counts ethnic intimidation, a two-year felony by the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office.
On Oct. 12, investigators say Lafond went to a tent at the VFW parking lot on Jefferson Avenue looking for campaign material on former President Donald Trump Oct. 12.
A volunteer told him it was the day for Vice President Kamala Harris campaign material. This allegedly led to Lafond shouting derogatory slurs, including those targeting sexual orientation. He further said that when Trump wins, he will "exterminate" people like them.
Lafond returned to his vehicle and accelerated toward volunteers, who had to jump out of the way to avoid being struck. Lafond then fled the scene.
St. Clair Shores Police Department identified the man after an investigation.
"This alleged assault was not just an assault on the victims, it was an assault on the rights of the victims to express themselves freely and safely, and impacts our entire community," said Prosecutor Pete Lucido in a release. "Acts of violence, assaults or harassment based on someone's identity have no place here. It threatens our Democracy and the exercise of free speech in a fair and secure election."
On Thursday Lafond was given a $50,000 personal bond in St. Clair Shores District Court.
Lafond was ordered to have no contact with any victims or witnesses and must wear a GPS tether. His next hearing is scheduled for Nov. 8,
Lucido's office said that proving an ethnic intimidation charge depends on three key elements:
- The defendant must have either threatened physical harm to the victim or threatened to damage the victim’s property in a way that appeared credible.
- The defendant’s actions must have lacked any justifiable reason. Finally, prosecutors must show that the defendant acted out of bias, targeting the victim specifically because of their race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or nationality.
- An assault charge can include a showing that the defendant took action that would cause a reasonable person to fear immediate harm.