Men threw hatchet at black teen, yelled racial slurs, police say
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Authorities in Massachusetts on Wednesday were searching for two men who allegedly yelled racial slurs and threw a hatchet at a black teen.
The eigth-grade boy, 14, was stepping off his school bus in North Brookfield on Tuesday when two masked men in a passing Jeep yelled at him and threw the hatchet at his head, WHDH-TV reported.
“It went right past his head. He ducked back,” his mother told the station. “It landed right in front of him.”
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Police responded to the scene, but were unable to track the vehicle or locate the hatchet, WCBV-TV reported. Police said it’s possible the men returned to the scene for the weapon.
North Brookfield Police Chief Mark Smith says he views the altercation as a hate crime.
"I am very disturbed," his mother told WCBV-TV. "I want them to be safe, feel safe and they don't right now. (They're) scared to take the bus."
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While the boy was not physically hurt, the school district alerted families through a Facebook post to be careful, the station reported.
Police are currently increasing patrols at area bus stops as a result.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.