A man was arrested this week after police say he walked into a Tempe community center and physically assaulted several older adults. Police say the attacks were racially motivated.
When 62-year-old Derek Kirven walked into the Escalante Multi-Generational Center on Wednesday, he was asked to leave twice after it was determined he was not a member.
Security camera footage from the center shows a man punching and pushing several elderly people and staff members.
Court records show Kirven later told police he believed staff wanted him removed from the center because he is Black. And he claimed to target white and “Mexican” people due to race and hoped he killed more than one of them, according to the records.
The Tempe Police Department is seeking felony and misdemeanor charges.
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