Former Arkansas fire captain pleads guilty to assaulting Asian man

Former Bentonville, Arkansas fire captain Benjamin Snodgrass, 47, has pleaded guilty to second-degree assault, disorderly conduct and public intoxication, receiving a 150-day suspended sentence for assaulting Liem Nguyen outside Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort in Hot Springs, Arkansas, in 2021. Snodgrass is also prohibited from contacting the victim.

What happened: The incident occurred around 9:30 p.m. on March 13, 2021, when Snodgrass approached the victim, questioning his presence in America and initiating a physical altercation. The victim sustained minor injuries and reported the incident to the police. Snodgrass, who appeared intoxicated and incoherent, was arrested and later resigned from his position at the fire department after 12 years of service.
No hate crime charge: Although Nguyen believed the assault was racially motivated, he could not pursue a federal hate crime charge due to the lack of hate crime laws in the state at the time of the incident. Snodgrass and his lawyer also denied any racist motivations or comments, with the attorney later claiming Snodgrass was unknowingly drugged with a hallucinogen before the altercation. Local resistance, including from Bentonville City Council member Bill Burckart, who viewed the incident as an isolated event involving an inebriated individual rather than a hate crime, further complicated the case. The incident sparked calls for authorities to take allegations of racist assaults more seriously.

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