White Man Sentenced for Attacking Black Michigan Family’s Home

Last year, The Root reported that Michael Frederick Jr. was arrested and charged for a string of attacks on a Black Michigan family’s home. Today, according to the Associated Press, he has been sentenced to four to 10 years.

Police say Frederick shot at the home of Eddie and Candace Hall and their children, as well as slashed tires, graffitied their vehicles, threw a rock through their front window, and fired a bullet through that same window the next day.

On Monday at his sentencing hearing, Frederic said that he wasn’t targeting the family personally. “I targeted these people because I didn’t like their political sign that they had in the window,” he said, according to AP. “I think you guys are some great people and didn’t deserve this at all.”

Last year at his arrest, Frederick claimed that it wasn’t about race even though he tortured the family for days. Today during his sentencing, he admitted that he targeted the home because of their Black Lives Matter sign in the window.

Yes, apparently to him, this was all over a sign…about race.

In July, according to ABC News, he pleaded no contest to ethnic intimidation, malicious destruction of property, discharging a firearm at a building, and using a firearm during a felony. He also pleaded the same to another charge of malicious destruction of property for vandalizing a home where a sign supporting then-presidential candidate Joe Biden was displayed.

At the sentencing, the Hall family used their time to make a statement to express forgiveness of Frederick’s attack.

From the AP:

“I’m not angry, I’m not. I’m forgiving,” Candace Hall, 55, said at Frederick’s sentencing. “You’re a good kid and have a chance. You made a bad choice, and we understand that. We have children ourselves. We’re not hateful people, we’re Christians.”

“With so much of the bad that happened, so much good came out of this because even though it was an evil, hateful act, it actually brought us — the neighborhood — together with love and comfort and compassion, even including his parents,” she added.

Judge Diane Druzinski told the Halls that she was “in awe” of their “strength, wisdom and forgiveness.”

“I wish I was as good as people as you,” Druzinski said.

You’re not alone, Judge Druzinski.