Man charged with hate crime for attacking blind Asian man in Florida found not guilty
Allan Chandler Muller, a 36-year-old man who was charged with a hate crime for allegedly attacking an Asian man in Florida in 2020, was found not guilty by a Fort Walton Beach jury.
The alleged hate crime: On Wednesday, Muller was acquitted of aggravated battery involving a hate crime after he was accused of breaking the jaw of John Mealor, 35, while using racial slurs.
In an arrest report, Mealor was reported to have been confronted by Muller while he was searching for his girlfriend in Destin Harbor on July 4, 2020. Despite Mealor and another witness attempting to walk away, Muller continued to approach them, using derogatory terms like “cross-eyed gook” and “lazy-eyed gook” towards Mealor, who is blind in one eye. Muller then allegedly punched Mealor in the face, knocking him unconscious, before kicking him in the face “soccer-style.”
Mealor’s injuries: Mealor was reportedly admitted to Fort Walton Beach Medical Center with a broken jaw that required several weeks of being sewn shut. The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office expressed concern that the injury could lead to “permanent disfigurement.” A doctor confirmed the severity of Mealor’s jaw injury during testimony.
The jury’s decision: Despite this, the defense on Wednesday argued a lack of surveillance cameras in the area during closing arguments. The jury, after reviewing all the evidence, found Muller not guilty, citing what they perceived as a lack of sufficient evidence.
Statement of Muller’s lawyer: In an email to the Northwest Florida Daily News, Muller’s attorney, Shawn Lupella, contended that the events unfolded differently from the police report, claiming that Mealor, the alleged victim, threw the first punch, leading to a reciprocal punch from Muller. Lupella emphasized that the incident was not a hate crime and argued against the sensationalism associated with the charge.
“The difficulty is when all the public knows is the name of the charge and the sensationalism that goes along with it,” Lupella said. “We knew that this was not a hate crime and we knew our client was not racist.”
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