Shorewood attorney Stephanie Rapkin charged with hate crime for spitting on protester

Shorewood attorney Stephanie Rapkin charged with hate crime for spitting on protester

A 64-year-old Shorewood woman has been charged with a hate crime after she was seen on video spitting on a Black Lives Matter protester last weekend.

JUST INTO THE NEWSROOM --PROSECUTORS CHARGE STEPHANIERAPKIN -- THE WOMAN SEEN INTHIS VIDEO, SPITTING ON APROTESTER... WITH A HATE CRIME.MARY JO OLA IS LIVE INSHOREWOOD WITH THE LATEST ONWHAT RAPKIN IS CHARGED WITH...CHARGES FOR STEPHANIE RAPKINCOME DOWN NEARLY AWEEK...AFTER SHE WAS SEENSPITTING ON 17-YEAR-OLD ERICLUCAS HERE OUTSIDE THIS METROMARKET.THIS HAPPENED DURING A BLACKLIVES MATTER PROTEST...CELLPHONE VIDEO OF THE INCIDENTCAUGHT NATIONAL ATTENTION.IN ACRIMINAL COMPLAINT RELEASEDTHIS MORNING...ERIC TOLDINVESTIGATORS HE WAS CHANTING"I'M BLACK AND I'M PROUD"SEVERAL FEET AWAY FROMRAPKIN...WHEN SHE SPIT ON HIM.RAPKIN LATER TOLD POLICE SHEWAS A CANCER SURVIVOR AND FELTTHREATENED BECAUSE SHE WASSURROUNDED BY PEOPLE WITHOUTMASKS.POLICE NOTE VIDEO SHOWEDRAPKIN WAS NOT WEARING A MASKHERSELF.ERIC'S FAMILY RELEASED ASTATEMENT THROUGH THEIRATTORNEY SAYING IN PART:"Westruggle to understand how ourcounty prosecutor could notsee thisdisgusting mistreatmentdirected towards our son asmore than disorderly conduct.At the same time, we applaudDA Chisholm's office forrecognizing that the attackwas motivated by race andelevating this to a hatecrime.

Hate has no place inour society."RAPKIN IS ALSO CHARGED WITHBATTERY TO A LAW ENFORCEMENTOFFICER.WE STOPPED BY RAPKIN'SHOUSE FOR COMMENT...BUT SHEDID NOT COME TO THE DOOR.MJOTMJ4 NEWS.