An Indiana woman was sentenced today to 72 months in prison and three years of supervised release for committing a federal hate crime.
On Sept. 17, Billie Davis, 57, pleaded guilty to willfully causing bodily injury to a victim, identified in court papers only by her initials, Z.F., through the use of a dangerous weapon (a knife), because of Z.F.’s actual and perceived race and national origin.
“Racially motivated violence has no place in our society,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This defendant pulled out a knife and viciously attacked a young woman who was simply riding a public bus to school, seriously injuring her because she was of Chinese descent. The sentence imposed for this heinous hate crime should send a strong message that perpetrators of hate-fueled violence will be held accountable. The Justice Department is committed to protecting every American from hate crimes by investigating and vigorously prosecuting those who carry out such heinous attacks.”
“Every person deserves to feel safe in their own community, and no one should be made to fear violence on their way to school simply because of who they are,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers for the Southern District of Indiana. “Violent hate should have no safe harbor in Indiana or anywhere in our great country. That’s why our Justice Department has prioritized prosecution of hate crimes and community outreach through our United Against Hate initiative. In recent years we’ve sadly seen an increase of bias crimes targeting people of Asian descent, and the serious federal prison sentence imposed here should demonstrate our commitment to stopping this hate. Anyone who has suffered a potentially hate-based violent incident should call 911 to address immediate safety issues, and then report the event to the Justice Department or FBI. Together we can make our community safer for everyone.”
“The FBI remains committed to protecting the civil rights of all individuals and this case should serve as a reminder that hate fueled actions will not be tolerated,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert “Alex” Middleton of the FBI Indianapolis Field Office. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and ensure those who perpetrate such acts of hate are held accountable.”
According to documents filed in connection with this case, on Jan. 11, 2023, Z.F., a woman of Chinese descent who was enrolled at Indiana University at Bloomington, was riding a Bloomington Transit bus on her way to school. Davis boarded the bus, sitting behind Z.F. As Z.F. stood to exit the bus at her stop, Davis reached for a folding knife from inside her pocket and stabbed Z.F. in the head approximately seven to 10 times. Davis later admitted to the police that she attacked Z.F. because she was Chinese and because Davis believed Z.F. was the “enemy.” Davis used racist slurs when referring to Z.F.
The FBI Indianapolis Field Office, Bloomington Resident Agency, investigated the case, with assistance from the Bloomington Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter A. Blackett for the Southern District of Indiana, Trial Attorney Anita Channapati of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section and Trial Attorney Barry Disney of the Criminal Division’s Mental Health Litigation Unit prosecuted the case.