- CLEARWATER: An advocacy group for Muslim Americans wants hate-crime charges brought against a man who reportedly ran down a Clearwater city employee because he thought he was a terrorist.
The incident happened Thursday afternoon when a car hit 53-year-old Terry Butler at the corner of Magnolia and Brookside Drives.
Investigators say 36-year-old Gerald Christopher Prebe intentionally ran into Butler, and charged him with attempted murder.
They said the attack may have been racially motivated, but did not elaborate.
Friday, though, the Council on American-Islamic Relations said they were calling on state and federal authorities to press hate crime charges against Prebe. They said Prebe told police he ran into Butler because he thought he was a Middle Eastern terrorist.