MS - Family says man beaten, shot over mixed-race grandchildren

http://www.wmbfnews.com/story/26307388/family-says-hate-crime

Craig Wilson's sister says Craig was brutally attacked by a relative for allowing his mixed-race grandchildren to stay at his home over the weekend.

The family tells us his stepson, with his son, came to Wilson's property screaming racist remarks at the family. The stepson, Jeff Daniels, and Craig Wilson allegedly got into a heated argument over his grandchildren. The family claims they threatened him, then beat him before shooting Wilson in the stomach...

"Yes, they called him some severe names and then they told him to leave and they chased him off his porch around his house and beat him with brass knuckles and shot him with his own gun," said Julie Wilson, the victim's sister.

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Of course, the man charged with the beating/shooting has a whole different take on what happened:

http://www.clarionledger.com/story/...n-smith-co-cross-burning-speaks-out/14308959/

A burning cross was left in the yard of a Smith County couple, and though the couple says 37-year-old Jeff Daniels did it, Daniels insists he knows nothing about it.

"I didn't know nothing about no cross," Daniels, who spent three nights in the Smith County Jail for a charge of aggravated assault, said at his home in Raleigh on Tuesday...

Daniels said when he approached the house, Wilson came toward him with a gun. Daniels grabbed the hand holding the gun, and they fell to the ground. "I'm thinking, 'If I can knock him out, I can get the gun and put it in my pocket, so I knocked him about six times hard," he recalled.

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This story hits close to home. My cousin's daughter has been disowned by some in her family because she married and has children with a man that's Puerto Rican/Black. He's one of the nicest young men I've ever met.

I hope this granddaddy pulls through. His grandchildren need him to help them deal with the idiots of the world.

Prayers are all I have to offer for the state of this world. God bless this man for standing up for what is right, against his own family, a very difficult situation. raying:

As an AmerAsian (Hispanic and Vietnamese) Army Brat who lost her entire paternal family in an instant because her younger sibling didn't resemble her father enough to please the family back in the early 70's, this case hits home for me as well.

My girls are mixed with Puerto Rican and Creole and we deal with racism whenever we visit our maternal family in Little Saigon. My Ma is a firecracker who always responds "We are American!" When people ask rude questions about her grandchildren.

She loves us all, and hasn't ever been afraid to stand up to people. She learned English, got her Bachelor's Degree, even taking voice and diction classes to improve her enunciation because she knew how important it was to embrace her new homeland.

I can't imagine someone harming her this way, just because her grandchildren are "mixed."

This case infuriates me!

I pray with all my heart that this grandfather makes a full recovery and finds justice. He's a hero in my eyes and his grands' deserve to have him around for a long time to come.

raying:



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I keep wondering how on earth it is 2014. Sure doesn't feel like it.

The children weren't even at Daniels' house? Uh, he could have left if he didn't approve of his parents' house guests. He could have checked himself early into the jail where he would have been in the company of those who are more his type. The "dude" ("man" isn't appropriate) can't even speak English :doh:and his explanation for events doesn't make sense. That's all I can say about this for now; my blood is boiling. ullhair:


Kimi, I'm so sorry for what your family has endured. :hug:

http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/local/2015/01/12/jeff-daniels-smith-county/21636329/

The case of a Smith County man charged with aggravated assault against his mother's boyfriend, who also claims he left a burning cross in his yard a few weeks prior to the assault, will be presented to a grand jury in April...

Daniels was charged with aggravated assault in August after an incident that left his mother's boyfriend, Craig Wilson, beaten and shot in the stomach...

Although Gaylene maintains it was her son who was behind the cross, Daniels denies any involvement and has not been charged in the incident. Officials said the act did not meet the requirements to constitute a hate crime under state law because the victim and alleged perpetrator are both white.

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OkieGranny said:

http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/local/2015/01/12/jeff-daniels-smith-county/21636329/

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:thud:


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http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/local/2015/01/12/jeff-daniels-smith-county/21636329/

So can anyone explain the logic behind this part?

The case made national news after authorities investigated the burning cross that was left in Daniels' mother and Wilson's front yard. A few weeks prior to the fight, Wilson's mixed-race grandchildren were visiting the home. During their visit, Daniels' mother Gaylene found a burning cross on her doorstep.

Although Gaylene maintains it was her son who was behind the cross, Daniels denies any involvement and has not been charged in the incident.

Officials said the act did not meet the requirements to constitute a hate crime under state law because the victim and alleged perpetrator are both white.

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So whilst the non-white grand-children were staying at the house a burning cross was left on the doorstep, but the 'victim' was white and it doesn't count as a hate crime?

Seriously? Even if the grand-children are not permanent residents or owners of the house, surely their presence at the time does indeed make the placing of a burning cross a hate crime?

From the articles posted, the cross-burning was investigated and no charges were filed. IMO, it sounds like lack of evidence had as much to do with it as not fulfilling the requirements for a hate crime. Besides, Wilson opted not to press charges, BBM:
"Crumpton said he doesn't know whether there's a connection between the cross burning and the shooting. He said Wilson called the sheriff's department and investigators went to see the burned cross, but Wilson didn't press charges."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/19/craig-wilson_n_5692826.html

This sounds like an ongoing family dispute that goes well beyond the mixed race grandkids. Lastly, the man was shot with his own gun. There was a fight, Wilson pulls out his gun, there is a struggle for the gun, Wilson gets shot. I think the man who pulled the gun has at least some responsibility for bringing a gun to a fight. Sounds like he was expecting a lethal confrontation. JMO, of course, but look at Daniels' booking photo, he's clearly been in a fight and has injuries. What I want to know is who started the fight and what were they actually fighting about (because the grandkids weren't even at the house when the fight erupted); also, we need to know if it's true that Wilson had been drinking. There are just too many loose ends, and a lot of accusations but not a whole lot of actual evidence.