A Quincy man, aged 78, was recently sentenced to prison for a hate crime that targeted an Asian American family outside a post office. As reported by the Department of Justice, John Sullivan received an 18-month sentence followed by three years of supervised release by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper. Earlier in April, Sullivan had admitted to one count of violating the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act.
The incident, which took place on December 2, 2022, began with Sullivan verbally assaulting a group that included three children, telling them to "go back to China," and climaxed when he purposefully struck an adult member of the group with his car. The violent act caused the victim to be carried on the hood of the car for roughly 200 feet before being thrown into a construction ditch after Sullivan abruptly stopped the vehicle. The Department of Justice's Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy described Sullivan's actions as "truly despicable," and Sullivan has been held to have done these acts "fueled by his hate of Asian-Americans."
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke, in a statement, clarified the impact of these crimes, "Racially-motivated and hate-fueled attacks have no place in our society." With a clear stance on the issue, Clarke emphasized the Department of Justice's commitment to "vigorously prosecute those who commit unlawful acts of hate." Moreover, the strong response from law enforcement agencies and the judiciary is reflective of a broader initiative to provide security and justice to all communities irrespective of racial or ethnic backgrounds.
FBI Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Division, Jodi Cohen, expressed that a standard visit to the post office turned into a "nightmare" for the victim due to Sullivan's racially motivated attack. "All communities in our Commonwealth – deserve respect and the ability to live, work, and raise their children without fear," stated Cohen. Authorities encourage anyone who has been the victim of or witness to a hate crime to report it to the FBI, furthering the collective commitment to combat these hate-driven acts.
The case was prosecuted with assistance from the Quincy Police Department and the Norfolk County District Attorney's Office, by Assistant U.S. Attorney Torey B. Cummings of the Civil Rights & Human Trafficking Unit and Tara Allison of the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division. This sentencing serves as a caution and a beacon of state action against hate crimes, reinforcing the fundamental right of every person in Massachusetts, and by extension the nation, to live free of hate and violence.
