A 61-year-old man accused of throwing acid on a Latino man’s face during a racist attack will undergo a psychiatric evaluation to determine whether he can assist in his criminal defense.
Clifton Blackwell’s lawyer asked for the evaluation during a Friday hearing in Milwaukee. The doctor’s report is due Nov. 15.
Blackwell, who is white, is charged with first-degree reckless injury in a case that’s being prosecuted as a hate crime. He’s accused of confronting Mahud Villalaz near a restaurant and throwing acid on his face after accusing him of being in the country illegally and invading the U.S.
This undated photo provided by the Milwaukee County Jail shows Clifton Blackwell. Milwaukee's district attorney says he's considering hate crime charges against the 61-year-old suspected of splashing battery acid on a Hispanic man's face. John Chisholm told Wisconsin Public Radio in an interview Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2019, that his office anticipates filing charges later in the day against Blackwell, the suspect in Friday night's acid attack. (Milwaukee County Jail via AP)
Villalaz suffered second-degree burns.
Designating the case as a hate crime means Blackwell could face a longer sentence if convicted.