A man faces hate crime charges after he allegedly attacked a postal worker in Fort Lauderdale, tearing off her hijab and leaving her with minor injuries.
The incident happened Oct. 24 outside an apartment complex on Northwest 10th Avenue, in Fort Lauderdale. The victim, who was in full United States Postal Service uniform and operating a marked truck, was delivering mail when Kenneth Pinkney rode by on his bike, according to a Broward Sheriff's Office booking report.
Pinkney, 47, then made his hand into a firearm and made a shooting gesture, police said. He started calling her derogatory names and told her to go back to her country, and the victim tried to laugh it off.
Pinkney allegedly approached her, tore off her hijab and slapped and punched her in the face, making her bleed from her mouth and leaving scratches on her face. He attempted to grab her leg as she tried to get back into her USPS truck, police said.
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When the victim told Pinkney she was going to call police, he allegedly also threatened to call the cops, officials said.
Pinkney was charged with battery as well as a hate crime based on the "(prejudicial) comments on the victim's ancestry, religion and national origin," according to the report.
The attack comes amid recent upticks in Islamophobic incidents and growing antisemitism as the Israel-Hamas war continues. The Council on American-Islamic Relations said it’s had a nearly 200% jump from last year in reports of bias incidents from Oct. 7 to Oct. 24. The Anti-Defamation League said antisemitic incidents are up nearly 400% from this time last year.
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USPS sent a statement saying safety is a number priority for its workers.
