Woman charged with hate crime in stabbing of Indiana University student
An Indiana woman who has already been charged in the attack of an 18-year-old student has been charged with a federal hate crime, officials said Friday.
Billie Davis, 56, stabbed the teenage Indiana University student in the head on a public bus in January 2023. Video of the attack shows no interaction between Davis and the student before the stabbing. According to court documents, Davis said that she stabbed the student, who is of Chinese descent, because of her race. Davis was charged with attempted murder and aggravated battery. The student, who has not been publicly identified, survived the attack
On Thursday, a federal grand jury convened in Evansville, Indiana, returned a single-count indictment charging Davis with an additional count of committing a hate crime.
The indictment alleges that Davis harmed the student because of her race and national origin. The indictment also alleges that Davis was attempting to kill the victim. Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter A. Blackett for the Southern District of Indiana and Trial Attorney Anita Channapati of the Civil Rights Division's Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.
James Wimbush, the vice president of diversity, equity, inclusion and multicultural affairs at Indiana University, addressed the incident shortly after it happened.
"This week, Bloomington was sadly reminded that anti-Asian hate is real and can have painful impacts on individuals and our community," Wimbush said of the southern Indiana city. "No one should face harassment or violence due to their background, ethnicity or heritage. Instead, the Bloomington and IU communities are stronger because of the vast diversity of identities and perspectives that make up our campus and community culture."