Who is John Sullivan? Massachusetts driver, 77, hits an Asian man with his car in a racially motivated incident
QUINCY, MASSACHUSETTS: John Sullivan, a Massachussetts driver, reportedly hit an Asian man with his car and then drove 200 yards with him on the hood in what the victim's family alleges was a racially motivated attack. Sullivan, 77, spat out racist slurs after the victim remarked about his reckless driving.
Sullivan lost his cool and said "go back to China" after being approached by the victim for driving too quickly while there were children around, according to WCVB. Just before 11 am on Friday, December 2, the victim, his sister and her three kids were standing in front of the Quincy post office when they observed Sullivan speeding down the street. "He said: 'Go back to China. I'm going to go into the post office and come back out in five minutes. If you're still here, I'm going to kill all of you,'" Desiree Thien, the victim's sister, stated. Thien and her brother stayed in front of Sullivan's car and collected his information as he got out of his car.
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Thien said, "He rammed into my brother. My brother rolled onto the hood and he clung onto the hood. He went for about a good 200 yards, then he brakes so my brother fell off. When (my brother) was trying to balance, he hit my brother again, continuing his racial slurs."
Quincy police said that Thien's brother was thrown at a construction site into a 10 to 15ft ditch and Sullivan took off from the scene. A witness tracked Sullivan and gave police updates on his whereabouts. They subsequently forwarded this information to the police in neighboring Braintree, where Sullivan was ultimately arrested.
Thien stated, "He needs to know not everyone can be picked on and not everyone will be silenced by intimidation." Sullivan is accused of two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, careless driving, leaving the scene of an accident involving personal harm, and violating civil rights.
Sullivan entered a plea of not guilty to the charges at his arraignment on Friday in Quincy District Court, according to the Norfolk District Attorney's Office. He is being held without bond pending a Wednesday, December 7 hearing on his violent behaviour.