FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. — A man charged with a hate crime for an alleged attack against an Asian man near the Destin Harbor in 2020 was found not guilty by a Fort Walton Beach jury on Wednesday.
On Wednesday afternoon, 36-year-old Allan Chandler Muller was acquitted of a charge of aggravated battery involving a hate crime.
Muller was accused of attacking 35-year-old John Mealer, breaking his jaw near the Destin Harbor, all while allegedly using racial slurs against him.
An arrest report states that Mealer was searching for his girlfriend before being confronted by Muller. The report adds that Mealer and another witness then started to walk away, but Muller continued to approach them, allegedly using derogatory terms such as “cross-eyed g**k” and “lazy-eyed g**k” towards Mealer. It should be noted that Mealer is blind in one eye.
Muller was then accused of punching Mealer in the face, knocking him unconscious.
A witness states in a report that they saw Muller then “soccer-style” kick Mealer in the face while he was already unconscious.
Mealer was taken to the Fort Walton Beach Medical Center with a broken jaw that had to be sewn shut for several weeks, according to a report.
The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office stated that the injury was deemed likely to result in “permanent disfigurement.”
A doctor testified on Tuesday, verifying the injury to Mealer’s jaw.
During closing arguments on Wednesday, the defense noted that during a deputy’s testimony on Tuesday that there was a lack of cameras in the area of the alleged attack.
After reviewing all the evidence, the jury ultimately decided that Muller was not guilty due to what they believed to be a lack thereof.
Muller has been out on bond for the charge since Aug. 29, 2021.
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