“Hill admitted to an Amazon manager and a Chesterfield County Police Officer that he dislikes people who are gay, and further stated that people who are gay should expect to be assaulted because of their sexual orientation.”
An Amazon employee has admitted that he attacked his fellow co-worker because of his sexual orientation.
James William Hill attacked his gay co-worker at the Amazon Fulfilment Centre in Chester, Virginia, in May 2015.
The 36-year-old has been found guilty of violating the Matthew Shepard Act of 2009, which prosecutes anyone who commits a hate-crime related to the race, colour, religion, or national origin of the victim.
A spokesperson told WTVR that Hill openly told police of his dislike for LGBTQ people: “Evidence showed that Hill assaulted the co-worker because of the co-worker’s perceived sexual orientation.
“Hill admitted to an Amazon manager and a Chesterfield County Police Officer that he dislikes people who are gay, and further stated that people who are gay should expect to be assaulted because of their sexual orientation.”
In 2016, the case was initially dismissed because hate-crime laws in Virginia do not include sexual orientation or gender identity, but the decision was appealed to the 4th Circuit of Appeals.
Hill now faces up to 10 years in prison.
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