On July 19, 2023, in Chatham, Massachusetts, a harrowing racially-driven event unfolded, resulting in the indictment of a 14-year-old white male who allegedly tried to drown a Black male juvenile at Goose Pond, according to the Cape & Islands District Attorney Robert J. Galibois.
As reported by MassLive, the indictment charges the 14-year-old with attempted murder and assault with a dangerous weapon. The attacker, whose name has not been released due to his age, met up with the Black teenager and another white male juvenile at Goose Pond. The attacker initially threatened the Black teen with a stone and made a racially charged statement before the boys entered the water.
Evidently, the Black teenager informed the others that he could not swim and consequently donned a life jacket prior to entering the water. Tragically, the white teen allegedly used that information to his advantage, pulling on the life jacket and submerging the Black teenager repeatedly, causing obvious distress. The situation further escalated as the third white male juvenile stood idly by, laughing and referring to the Black teenager as "George Floyd", further intensifying the racially charged nature of the event, as per Cape Cod Times.
Fortunately, a bystander heard the Black teenager's cries for help, intervened, and assisted him back to shore. As detailed in WCVB, the 14-year-old is being held without bail and is due back in Barnstable Juvenile Court on September 13th.
