Man accused of racist rant, assault

SOLON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) - A Kent County man is being charged with ethnic intimidation after he allegedly assaulted a man in a store.

Court documents show that on Dec. 30, 2011, 49-year-old Eric Pierson allegedly approached a black male at Huck's Store in Solon Township and called him "dark chocolate."

The documents go on to say that the man ignored Pierson. Pierson then became "upset" because the man was ignoring him so he pushed the victim and "also pulled out a knife and threatened [the victim] with it."

The store manager split the men up and the victim left the store.

When he came back awhile later to finish his shopping, there was a second confrontation.

Pierson allegedly went up to the same man, still holding the knife, and called him a racial slur. He said that the victim wasn't supposed to be in the store and that "this is our town."

The victim felt threatened at that point and pulled out his "legally carried pistol." The documents say he pointed it at Pierson, and told him to stay away while he left the store.

"It's something you would expect to see in some rural town in Mississippi in 1961," said Cooley Law Professor Curt Benson. "It's really not what you'd expect in Michigan in 2011."

Pierson has now been charged with felonious assault, carrying a concealed weapon and ethnic intimidation -- a two-year felony.

Benson said ethnic intimidation charges are rare. He also said there isn't that much case law about it in the state.

"Honestly, I take some comfort in that it's not that common," he said. "When somebody is assaulted that's bad enough. It's frightening, it's injury -- but when you have the overlay of racism, for example, that not only hurts the victim more, it hurts the victim's community. [It] sometimes can invite retaliation, which escalates the violence, and ultimately everyone in the community suffers a little greater when the crime is motivated by racial animus and therefore they pass these special laws."

The FBI's crime statistics for Grand Rapids and Kent County seem to show that the crimes are not all that common.

According to the FBI Hate Crime Statistics Report, Grand Rapids has seen a decrease in race/ethnicity hate crimes since 2008. The numbers reported to the FBI went from 23 in 2008, to four in 2009 and five in 2010.

Kent County's statistics never reach double digits for the same three year period. In 2008, the county reported four of these types of crimes, one in 2009 and six in 2010.

"It's not necessarily that we're better people," said Benson, "but certainly the dumbest person probably knows it's probably not a good idea to pull a knife while screaming that word."

Pierson is out of jail on bond. He is expected to be back in court later this week.

When 24 Hour News 8 went to Pierson's home on Monday to see if he would like to comment, we were told he was out of town.

Pierson is a habitual offender and has been convicted of at least three previous felonies. Court documents show he was convicted of escaping from prison and breaking and entering in 1988. In 1987, he was convicted of  "unlawful use of auto."

According to the felony complaint, if Pierson is convicted of carrying a concealed weapon, he could serve life in prison because of the habitual offender enhancement. 

--

Online:

FBI hate Crime Stats 2008

FBI Hate Crime Stats 2009

FBI Hate Crime Stats 2010

FBI crime statistics -  includes a breakdown of hate crimes as far back as 1995.