C.J. Gish
A federal grand jury indicted a Rosewood man with federal hate crimes charges for a racially motivated attack that occurred in September 2022.
According to a Wednesday press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, David Emanuel, 61, received a six-count indictment for a racially-motivated attack on a group of black men who were surveying land on a public road near Cedar Key.
The federal grand jury in Gainesville alleged, “that on Sept. 6, 2022, Emanuel willfully intimidated the victim, F.D.D., and attempted to injure, intimidate and interfere with him, through the use of Emanuel’s vehicle, because of F.D.D.’s race and color,” according to the release.
“Emanuel was alleged to have willfully intimidated and interfered with and attempted to intimidate and interfere with, five additional victims, through the use of his vehicle, because of the victims’ race and color,” the release stated. “According to the indictment, all six victims were black males who were surveying land owned by one of the victims at the time of the alleged offenses.”
According to a Levy County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) release posted on Sept. 15, 2022, regarding the incident, a group of men were assembled on the edge of a right of way on SW 96 Court in Rosewood on Sept. 6 where they were discussing a land clearing project with a local company.
Emanuel then approached the group in his pickup truck and confronted them. He used multiple racial slurs during the verbal altercation and then he left to a nearby property. The same group of men then witnessed Emanuel exit the property in his pickup and accelerate rapidly in their direction, causing one of the men standing near the edge of the road to jump out of the way to avoid being struck.
LCSO deputies responded to the scene and obtained multiple witness statements during the initial investigation. Deputies later identified Emanuel as the suspect and arrested him on Sept. 12, 2022. He was booked into the Levy County Detention Center and later released after posting a bond of $50,000.