A sailor who pleaded guilty to a hate crime after beating an immigrant taxi driver in Magnolia in December was sentenced Thursday to six months in jail.
A sailor who attacked an immigrant taxi driver in Seattle last year, telling him to “go back to your own country,” was sentenced Thursday to six months in jail.
Jesse A. Fleming, 27, pleaded guilty last month to second-degree assault and malicious harassment under the state’s hate-crime statute.
Fleming, a sailor based in Everett, repeatedly punched Adan Gaal, an immigrant from Somalia, in the face, knocking him unconscious and breaking his nose, charging papers say.
Gaal, a father of four, moved to Seattle 15 years ago after spending most of his life in Somalia. Gaal is a U.S. citizen, said Senior Deputy Prosecutor Mike Hogan.
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Hogan, during Thursday’s hearing, recommended that Fleming be sentenced to nine months in jail. Fleming’s attorney, Kevin Trombold, sought a sentence of three months. The standard-range sentence is three to nine months.
Gaal asked King County Superior Court Judge Monica Benton to impose the maximum sentence. When Benton asked if he could consider forgiving his attacker, Gaal said no.
“This man who attacked me took an oath. He was working in the uniform of the government,” said Gaal, who appeared in court with a large crowd of supporters. “He said ‘Go back to your country, you don’t belong here. I’m going to shoot you.’ ”
During the sentencing hearing, Fleming apologized to Gaal.
Trombold told the court that Fleming had been drinking that night and that both men exchanged insults.
“I made one bad judgment,” said Fleming. “I hope in the future he can forgive me for what I’ve done.”
Benton, before handing down the sentence, told Fleming that Gaal “is part of a community outraged” by the attack. Benton said she hopes Fleming spends his jail time thinking that had this occurred in another country he and Gaal’s roles could have been reversed, because “America is not loved everywhere.”
“Your level of remorse is palpable to the court. The level of anger by Mr. Gaal is palpable,” Benton said.
According to charging documents, Gaal had picked up a woman and three men, including Fleming, in Belltown on Dec. 7 and drove them to a residence in Magnolia. Fleming became irritated over how long it took to process the credit card used to pay the fare, and beat the driver once the transaction was completed, the charges say.
Police said Gaal lost consciousness and his foot slipped off the brake, causing the taxi to roll downhill, strike several parked cars and hit the stairs of an apartment building.
When he regained consciousness, the attack continued, with the two other male passengers joining in, according to the charges.
The passengers fled as neighbors came out to investigate, but Fleming returned while police were at the scene, the charges say. Fleming told officers he also asked Gaal “if he hated America and if he was a terrorist and member of ISIS,” say the charges.
Prosecutors said Fleming indicated he was on active duty in the Navy and was stationed in Everett. Police said he acknowledged being involved but claimed to have acted in self-defense.
Court records indicate Fleming’s last known address is in San Manuel, Ariz.
In court Thursday, Trombold said Fleming is in the process of being discharged from the Navy and plans to return home to Arizona, where he has a new baby, after serving his King County Jail time.