GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WZZM) – A Comstock Park man who hurled racial threats and insults at a neighbor who called police on him admitted to a Kent County judge today he was "rude and somewhat uncooperative'' during the April confrontation..
Kent County Circuit Court Judge George Buth took that observation a step further, telling Anthony Charles Winkler his actions "show loud and clear an anger problem, a prejudice problem.''
"What you have in your heart came out that night,'' Buth said Wednesday during Winkler's sentencing hearing. "Animosity, ethnic intimidation clearly shines through in this case.''
Buth said he would reluctantly follow sentencing guidelines, which did not call for prison time for ethnic intimidation, a two-year felony. In exchange for a no contest plea, prosecutors dropped a more serious charge of interfering with a crime report with threat to kill or injure, punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Winkler, 26, said he's suffered immensely from the April 10 dust-up at York Creek Apartments in Alpine Township; he was booted from the apartment complex and lost a job he's held for seven years.
"I took the (plea) deal because I was intimidated by the sentence,'' Winkler said. "I didn't do everything they said; quite the contrary.''
Buth was unswayed and ordered Winkler to serve six months in the Kent County Jail followed by two years on probation.
In addition to the initial complaint, Winkler teed-off on responding officers, peppering his commentary with racial epithets.
"Curiously, after you incriminated yourself, you said you were going to plead the Fifth and keep your mouth shut,'' Buth noted.
Winkler conceded the point. "I have a lot of remorse and regret for whatever I said to the officers,'' Winkler said. "I never said anything personally to the victim, I said it to the officers. I admit I was rude and somewhat uncooperative.''
Buth declined to repeat the offensive language, but police reports show Winkler made liberal use of the "N' word.
The confrontation began when Winkler's upstairs neighbor called the Kent County Sheriff's Department to complain about the aroma of marijuana coming from the apartment below. Winkler concluded the call was placed by a black neighbor.
"You were upset with the victim here,'' Buth told Winkler. "The victim said you said you were going to shoot him for calling the cops.''
