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Racial comment sparked fatal punch in Las Vegas casino, say cops
July 08, 2011
Benjamin G. Hawkins
(Credit: KLAS) (CBS/AP) LAS VEGAS - A racial comment inside the restroom of a Las Vegas Strip casino sparked a fatal punch that led to the death of a Utah man and the arrest of a Florida tourist Wednesday, authorities said.
Benjamin G. Hawkins, 37, was arrested on murder charges shortly after the slaying of John Massie around 12:45 a.m.
The altercation began when Hawkins took offense to the Massie's comment about "a black man in a yellow shirt," police said. Hawkins reportedly felled the Utah man with a single punch to the face.
"One punch to the side of the face and he was out," police homicide Lt. Lewis Roberts said of the dead man to the Associated Press. "Never got back up."
Massie was declared dead less than 30 minutes later at a nearby hospital.
Roberts said the confrontation was captured on surveillance cameras and seen by witnesses.
The two men didn't know each other before they exchanged words, according to Roberts. The fatal punch was thrown when the two men squared off in a lobby area.
Hawkins told detectives he interpreted Massie's actions as aggressive.
"Hawkins said he feared if he turned his back on Massie he would be punched in the back of the head, so he punched Massie one time in the jaw with his right hand," the police report said.
Racial comment sparked fatal punch in Las Vegas casino, say cops
July 08, 2011
Benjamin G. Hawkins
(Credit: KLAS) (CBS/AP) LAS VEGAS - A racial comment inside the restroom of a Las Vegas Strip casino sparked a fatal punch that led to the death of a Utah man and the arrest of a Florida tourist Wednesday, authorities said.
Benjamin G. Hawkins, 37, was arrested on murder charges shortly after the slaying of John Massie around 12:45 a.m.
The altercation began when Hawkins took offense to the Massie's comment about "a black man in a yellow shirt," police said. Hawkins reportedly felled the Utah man with a single punch to the face.
"One punch to the side of the face and he was out," police homicide Lt. Lewis Roberts said of the dead man to the Associated Press. "Never got back up."
Massie was declared dead less than 30 minutes later at a nearby hospital.
Roberts said the confrontation was captured on surveillance cameras and seen by witnesses.
The two men didn't know each other before they exchanged words, according to Roberts. The fatal punch was thrown when the two men squared off in a lobby area.
Hawkins told detectives he interpreted Massie's actions as aggressive.
"Hawkins said he feared if he turned his back on Massie he would be punched in the back of the head, so he punched Massie one time in the jaw with his right hand," the police report said.
