AUBURN — State prosecutors filed a civil complaint against a Greene man under the Maine Civil Rights Act after he reportedly threatened to hit a Sabattus man with a baseball bat and called him racial slurs.
Keith Clayton Hanning, 77, was charged with criminal threatening, a Class D misdemeanor, punishable by up to 364 days in jail. He was freed on $50 cash bail after pleading not guilty.
In addition to the criminal charge, Hanning is facing a civil complaint in Androscoggin County Superior Court filed by the Attorney General’s Office.
In that complaint, state prosecutors say Hanning was at the parking lot of the Walmart store in Auburn on July 23 when a car pulled into a parking space and ran over the curb that bordered the parking space and median walkway. Hanning was walking in the median adjacent to the curb, according to the complaint.
Hanning yelled at the car’s passenger, Tyrone Davis, who apologized to Hanning for the driver’s error, the complaint said.
The driver of the car, whose foot was in a support boot due to an injury, got out of the car and also apologized to Hanning.
As Davis began explaining the reason for the driver’s difficulty in maneuvering the car, Hanning said, “Go back to Africa” and called Davis a “n—–” and said he would “kick (Davis’) ass,” the complaint said.
Davis was holding the couple’s 2-year-old daughter in his arms during the confrontation. An infant son remained with his mother, who was white.
Hanning pushed Davis, then crossed the parking lot to his vehicle, where he retrieved a baseball bat and turned to Davis and his family, brandishing the bat, the complaint said.
Davis put down his daughter and walked to where Hanning was in an effort to keep Hanning from coming near his children and their mother.
Hanning threatened to hit Davis with the bat, the complaint said.
A number of witnesses to the threats called 911, according to the complaint.
The state is seeking a preliminary injunction against Hanning, barring him from:
* Threatening or using physical force or violence against Davis or any members of his family or their property;
* Threatening or using physical force or violence against any person because of race (or other protected statuses under the Maine Human Rights Act);
* Destroying, damaging or trespassing on the property of anybody or their place of worship because of protected statuses;
* Harassing, intimidating, speaking to, telephoning or otherwise communicating with Davis or his family;
* Knowingly coming within 150 feet of his home or workplace, or encouraging or causing any other person to engage in such conduct.
If the judge were to act on the state’s motion and order a preliminary injunction and Hanning were to violate any of its terms, he could be charged with a Class D crime.
cwilliams@sunjournal.com
Send questions/comments to the editors.
