Frederick sheriff wants teens charged with hate crime in fair death

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Teen Brothers Arrested For Allegedly Killing Man During “Knockout Game” At Fair

Things turned deadly at the Great Frederick Fair when a 59-year-old John Weed was found unconscious and was ultimately pronounced dead Saturday after being airlifted to R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore.

According to Fox5DC, Frederick County Sheriff wants two teen brothers, ages 15 and 16, charged with a hate crime on top of the respective first-degree assault, second-degree assault, reckless endangerment and second-degree assault charges.

“This was such a brutal, unprovoked attack – not only the attack itself, but the fact that after the man was down, they spit on him repeatedly. I’m so disgusted – I’m angry, I’m upset for the family,” the sheriff said.

Sheriff Charles Jenkins also says the boys may be charged with manslaughter or second-degree murder and he’d like to see them charged with a hate crime, but did not elaborate on the basis of that charge.

Despite the sheriff’s wishes, the boys are being charged as juveniles but their father disputes the circumstances under which his sons attacked the man.

Let him tell it, one of the boys’ friends asked John Weed for money and the 59-year-old proceeded to spit on them.

According to WJLA, law enforcement believes that the teens were playing “the knockout game” and Weed just happened to be the randomly chosen victim.