STEVENS POINT, WI (WSAU) A man who yelled racial slurs at Hmong shoppers in a grocery store is charged with a hate crime.
Robert E. Shrote, 57, was charged with disorderly conduct after the incident at the Save A Lot in Stevens Point. He used an expletive towards two Hmong shoppers, and said Chinese are poisoning people with Coronavirus.
Several people in the store on May 12 heard the comments and confronted Shrote, who was intoxicated at the time. Police were called. A woman gave Shrote a ride home before officers arrived.
Officers interviewed Shrote at his home, and issued a citation. Because of hate crime enhancers, he could be fined up to $10,000 and serve one year in jail. He’s now free on signature bond, and is due back in court on July 13.
