An Indiana woman has recently been charged with a federal hate crime due to a racially motivated attack on a woman of Chinese descent. The assault took place on a public transit bus in Bloomington, Indiana, on January 11, 2023.
The suspect, 56-year-old Billie Davis, is accused of causing bodily harm and attempting to do so with a knife due to the victim’s race and national origin.
The victim informed investigators that she had been riding the Bloomington Transit bus and was preparing to exit when the incident occurred. As she waited for the doors to open, Davis reportedly struck her repeatedly in the head, causing immediate pain.
Initially, Davis was taken to the Monroe County Jail and booked on a charge of Battery, a level 5 felony. However, after discovering the victim had multiple stab wounds to her head, investigators reviewed the bus’s camera footage, which revealed the assault. The footage showed that there was no prior interaction between Davis and the victim before the stabbing.
Following a subsequent interview, Davis’s charge was amended to Attempted Murder, a level 1 felony. The indictment against Davis alleges that she tried killing the victim, and she was charged with committing a hate crime against the woman.
In response to the attack, Indiana University’s Asian Culture Center in Bloomington issued a statement expressing outrage and heartbreak over the unprovoked act of violence. The center conveyed its sympathy to the victim, her family, and those in the community affected by the racial violence.