DA: Dolores Park Chase was a hate crime

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A man accused of shouting racist epithets while chasing an Afro-Latino woman through Dolores Park will be charged with a hate crime, according to prosecutors.

John Killops, 60, will also be arraigned Wednesday on charges of criminal threats, the San Francisco District Attorney’s office said hours before the hearing.

The accused has been in jail since his arrest on Sunday, and the district attorney will ask the court to keep him under lock and key while he awaits trial.

Killops faces six years in prison if found guilty.

The district attorney said he was seeking an increase in the hate crime because prosecutors believe Killops harassed a woman in the park because he was motivated by racism.

“Unfortunately, there are people in San Francisco who harbor hatred and hostility towards others because of the color of their skin or who they are,” District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said in announcing the charges. “No one should face threats, violence or discrimination because of who they are. Hate crimes are an ongoing threat to various communities in San Francisco and we will seek justice in this case and work to hold Mr. Killops accountable for his actions.”

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