Story:
If you want to talk the talk, you gotta walk the walk. That is what William Boucher, 24, is learning after being caught on camera launching into a violent, racist rant, calling a black man a slave and comparing him to livestock after the man apparently spilled some coffee on Boucher’s light-colored suit.
Hmm, there’s nothing like the smell of felony hate crime charges against a racist.
Boucher originally received a tap on the wrist, having been charged with misdemeanor battery on June 6 after becoming enraged about the spilled drink.
The video of Boucher's explosion is ugly in a way that made me suspect mental health issues, with a possible role for autistic spectrum disorder. My suspicion was so strong that I did some checking when Boucher was arrested in June, and learned that he'd been a student at the Orthogenic School, a residential treatment program for children in Chicago.
O-school site, student profile:
Most students are experiencing severe and persistent mental health challenges, together with life-disrupting symptoms related to being on the autism spectrum or other social and emotional difficulties.
The majority of O-School students have been treated extensively through special education and mental health services prior to enrollment at the School – achieving some, but not sufficient or sustained growth. Some have experienced an acute event that caused a significant deterioration in functioning.
The prosecutor's office probably pursued less serious charges because they learned about Boucher's background.
I'm not certain, but I think it's very unusual for a judge to updgrade charges on his own, as a judge did in this case. The judge also refused bond on the upgraded charges, so Boucher is now at the Cook County jail where he's at risk of harm if he isn't afforded extra protection.
There's a enough info in Boucher's social media accounts to surmise that labeling him a racist is simplistic and misleading. It's evident that he has relationships with a diverse range of friends. I looked at his facebook page when he was arrested, and nothing there hints at the possibility that he's an ideological racist.
Maybe his lawyer and the prosecutor's office can work out a deal that protects the public and places him appropriately. This kid would be eaten alive in an Illinois state prison. Meantime, while the internet celebrates this turn of events, his family is probably living a nightmare they've long feared.
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