Woman charged with hate crime

Crystal Harris, a 43-year-old Black woman from Baton Rouge, has been charged with multiple offenses, including hate crimes, after allegedly making racially charged comments towards a white police officer during her arrest on August 4. Harris reportedly called 911 multiple times demanding police assistance to retrieve her belongings from an apartment, despite previous instructions to contact the constable's office. During her interactions with law enforcement, she allegedly referred to the officer with racial slurs and claimed her arrest was racially motivated. The charges against her include illegal use of the 911 system, resisting arrest with force, public intimidation, and misrepresentation during booking. Louisiana law defines hate crimes as acts motivated by bias against a person's race or other protected categories. This incident highlights ongoing tensions related to race and law enforcement interactions in the community.