MADISON, Wis. — An Illinois man was cited for disorderly conduct after yelling a racial slur at a UW-Madison staff member, police say.
The UW-Madison Police Department (UWPD) received a report about a possible hate crime Wednesday, July 6 that occurred two days earlier.
The victim was a UW staff member who is of Asian descent, police said. The victim told investigators he was running on the Lakeshore Path near Lot 60 when a man yelled a racial slur from inside a car.
The suspect then got out of the car and approached the victim. The victim told investigators he feared for his safety and was able to run away from the suspect and scene.
UWPD officers were able to locate the suspect's vehicle and make contact with the driver, 28-year-old Tom N. Gbean of Oswego, Illinois. Gbean has no affiliation with UW-Madison.
Police said they are referring disorderly conduct charges to the Dane County District Attorney's Office and is requesting a hate crime enhancer.
