A Florida man who pleaded guilty to committing a hate crime with a deadly weapon against Black teens has been sentenced to probation and 300 hours of community service.
He also was mandated by the courts to verbally apologize for his actions on Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2019 and admit that the words he used against the minors were hurtful.
The 55-year-old white businessman called the teens the N-word while wielding a gun, cellphone video shows.
One clip posted on social media by a witness showed Mark Bartlett shouting at one teen.
“N—-rs suck,” Bartlett yelled out of his van window, the Miami Times reports.
Related: ‘Call the Police!’: Unhinged White Man Crashes Into Wall Moments After Hurling N-Word at Motorist, Now He Faces Hate Crime Charges
On Tuesday, May 30, Bartlett was sentenced to 10 years on probation after taking a plea deal with Miami-Dade County prosecutors for hurling racial slurs and brandishing a gun at Deante Joseph and Kidanys Cruz, the two victims in this case, four years ago, CBS News 10 reports.
“Mr. Bartlett is here today taking responsibility for his racist and deplorable conduct. The victims appreciate that. Hopefully, you really understand how terrible your conduct was, and you are sincere about what you did,” said attorney Marwan Porter who represents Joseph and Cruz.
The victims were a group of young cyclists gathering on the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service to protest two primary causes: the potential loss of affordable housing in Miami’s Liberty City neighborhood and gun violence.
The anti-gun violence demonstration was called “Wheels Up, Guns Down” and featured mostly young Black males on their bikes, motorcycles, and all-terrain vehicles. Participants not only rode their bikes between traffic but put on elaborate shows that included popping wheelies and riding while standing up.
Multiple cellphone videos captured Bartlett, seemingly upset that the teens were blocking…
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