A drunken thug threw a trans rights protester to the ground. Police said he ‘was just irritated because his dinner was interrupted’
Wesley Devilbiss
A man who threw a trans rights protester to the ground will not face hate crime charges, police have said.
Wesley Devilbiss was eating on the patio of a Mexican restaurant when he saw between 40 and 50 trans rights protesters marching down Main Avenue in Durango, Colorado, Durango Herald reports.
One of them began singing, which “infuriated” the 59-year-old, from Farmington, New Mexico, sending him into a violent rage.
Devilbiss stepped in front of the woman who was singing and ripped her face mask off – and the situation rapidly spiralled out of control from there.
When another woman involved with the protest tried to intervene, Devilbiss allegedly threw her to the ground.
Police were reluctant to arrest man who attacked trans rights protesters.
Local police were called to the scene – and remarkably, when officers arrived, they were reluctant to even arrest him.
Authorities said they were going to write him a ticket, but brought him into the station when he “continued to be belligerent”.
“He was intoxicated and didn’t want to mellow out,” Durango Police Department Comamnder Ray Shupe said.
Devilbiss was held on suspicion of disorderly conduct and disturbing the peace at La Plata County Jail.
But he was not handed a hate crime or assault charge, because nobody was injured in the incident.
He definitely was confrontational with them, and it spiralled into disorderly conduct.
“Disorderly conduct is still unwanted touching or grabbing,” Shupe said.
“He definitely was confrontational with them, and it spiralled into disorderly conduct.”
Explaining the decision to not charge Devilbiss with a hate crime, Shupe said: “No one on scene said he spouted any kind of slurs that would indicate bias.
“I think it was more he was irritated because his dinner was interrupted.”
