Man wears blackface in court then launches bizarre rant about being ‘treated like a black man’
Mark Char stabbed three in road rage confrontation
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A man who was recently convicted in a violent road rage incident turned up to court with a blacked up face for his sentencing hearing before delivering a bizarre racially-charged rant.
Mark Char, who is not black, claimed he was wearing blackface because he was being “treated like a black man” by the court in Honolulu, Hawaii.
He was found guilty of attempted murder and assault in March over a triple stabbing in a road rage confrontation.
One victim was knifed five times and taken to hospital in a critical condition after the attack, which Char claimed was in self-defence.
At his sentencing hearing, Char hit out at his lawyer, who he said was “incompetent”.
He said: “Now this kangaroo court is trying to give me a life sentence for me trying to protect and defend myself against the attack from three guys ― in essence, treating me like a black man.
“And today, the reason why I’m like this is because I prepared myself to play my part in your kangaroo court, treating me like a black man, so today I’m going to be a black man.”
Char is thought to have used a black-coloured permanent marker to darken his face, according to local media.
Despite his unusual behaviour, state documents showed the court was satisfied that he had understood the proceedings of the trial and was fit to be sentenced.
His appearance drew strong criticism from Judge Todd Eddins, who later sentenced him to life in prison with the possibility of parole.
“This continues a pattern of disruptive behaviour designed to undermine the administration of justice,” he said.
He added: “What you need to do is look in the mirror. And if you look in the mirror, Mr Char, you’re not going to see a black person, you’re going to see a menace to society.”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments