Postal worker in Fort Lauderdale was attacked in what may be a hate crime, police say
.jpg "A Wilton Manors man faces a hate crime charge following an Oct. 24, 2023, attack on a U.S. Postal Service worker who was wearing a hijab.")
A Wilton Manors man is facing a hate crime charge following an attack on a U.S. Postal Service worker who was wearing a hijab, according to Fort Lauderdale police.
The postal worker, whose name was redacted from the arrest report, was delivering mail in uniform driving a marked Postal Service truck on Oct. 24 when police say Kenneth Pinkney rode up to her on his bicycle and made a hand gesture of a shooting gun.
He then began calling her “derogatory names and telling her to go back to her country,” Officer Cory Moore wrote in the report.
Pinkney, 47, then walked up to the woman, ripped off her hijab and slapped her in the face, causing her to bleed from the mouth, Moore wrote. The woman also suffered scratches to her face, the report states.
The woman tried to get into her truck and Pinkney grabbed at her legs, Moore wrote. Pinkney’s shirt was ripped in the struggle, police said.
Pinkney remains in Broward County jail on a $20,000 bond on a misdemeanor battery charge and a felony charge of evidencing prejudice while committing a crime. Additional hate crime charges could be filed.
According to Broward County court records, Pinkney has a long arrest history on charges that include domestic violence, burglary and stalking. According to Moore’s report, he was convicted of felony battery in 1996.
Blanca Alvarez, acting assistant inspector in charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the agency that investigates crimes involving the Postal Service, said her agency is working with local police investigating the attack.
“The safety and security of USPS employees will always remain the number one priority of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service,” Alvarez said in an email.
The Florida chapter of the Council of American-Islamic Relations released a statement this week saying it welcomes the addition of the hate crime charges.
“This alleged violence and hate have absolutely no place in Florida. We will make sure to follow up on this and any other case to ensure they are prosecuted to the fullest extent to deter others from engaging in this criminal anti-social behavior targeting anyone, regardless of their race or religion.”
This story was originally published November 7, 2023 at 10:35 AM.
