Man Gets 8-Plus Years In Racially Motivated Assault
BRAINERD, Minn. (WCCO) – A 28-year-old Brainerd man was sentenced to more than eight years in prison Friday in connection with what was believed to be a racially-motivated assault at a Brainerd bar back in February.
Lucas Eastwood will serve 103 months, or about 8.5 years, with credit for time already served in connection with the incident. Eastwood pleaded guilty in September in Crow Wing County Court to one felony count of first-degree assault and in exchange had charges of third-degree kidnapping, third-degree assault and assault motivated by racial bias dismissed.
Eastwood and another man, 29-year-old Travis Campbell, were involved in a fight at Yesterday's Gone Bar in February where a 58-year-old black man was assaulted. According to a criminal complaint, Eastwood said he wanted to "beat up the black guy," who was later identified as Willie Navy.
The two men punched and kicked Navy in the head. Navy needed multiple surgeries after the incident and could ultimately lose vision in one eye.
The complaint states Navy was jumped because he is black and staff at the bar knew he was being targeted.
