On June 26, seven white teens in Jackson, Mississippi, repeatedly and continually beat a black man, then once they were done, took their SUV and ran over him, killing him. The leader of the teens, 18 year old Deryl Dedmon, Jr., reportedly raised his fists and shouted “White Power!” as he murdered the 49 year old black man, James Craig Anderson, simply for being black. Recently released video shows Anderson, 49, being taunted and badly beaten by a group of teenagers as he stood outside a hotel in Jackson, Mississippi. After fleeing the scene, the teens returned to find the victim limping down the street. The video; http://www.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/08/06/mississippi.hate.crime/index.html which captures the beating and subsequent murder, shows the teens running over Anderson with a pickup truck. 

Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith has charged Deryl Dedmon, Jr. with Murder and John Aaron Rice, with Simple Assault. Both men are from Brandon, Mississippi. 

“This was a crime of hate. Dedmon murdered this man because he was black,” said Smith. “The evidence will show that.” 

Asked if there could be any doubt whether the intent was to actually hurt and kill a black person, Smith responded: “No doubt about it. They were going out to look for a black victim to assault, and in this case, even kill.” 

“I ran that nigger over,” Dedmon allegedly said in a phone conversation to the teens in the other car. 

“He repeated the racial language in subsequent conversations, according to the law enforcement officials. 

“He was not remorseful he was laughing, laughing about the killing,” said district attorney Smith.