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A Hudson Valley man was charged with menacing as a hate crime stemming from a road rage incident.
Orange County resident William J. Ryan, age 60, of the town of Newburgh, was arrested on Tuesday, June 14, for the incident that took place on Saturday, June 11.
According to Newburgh Police Chief Anthony Geraci, Ryan was charged after allegedly getting into a fight with a Black Newburgh resident who he threatened with a knife while making 'derogatory ethnic slurs."
Ryan told the man, who reportedly shared a video of the incident, that he was an off-duty trooper, according to NBC News.
Ryan was charged with menacing as a hate crime and is being held until arraignment.
“There is no place for hate in our community," Geraci said. "Mr. Ryan will be held accountable for his criminal actions and deplorable speech. His racist threats were not only harmful to the victim in this case, but echoes deep within our city.”
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