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Charges Filed In 'Heinous, Tragic Hate Crime'
 SEATTLE -- A man accused in the shooting rampage at Seattle's Jewish Federation office last week was charged Wednesday with nine felony counts, including aggravated first-degree murder and violation of the state's hate-crime law. "Make no mistake, this was a hate crime," King County Prosecutor Norm Maleng told a news conference. "The attack on these women was an attack on the Jewish community, not only in Seattle but throughout our nation and the world."
| Haq's court-appointed attorney said he would not comment until he had more time to review the case. |
Naveed Afzal Haq is charged with aggravated first-degree murder in the death of Pamela Waechter, 58, director of the Jewish charity's annual fundraising campaign. Conviction is punishable either by life in prison or death; Maleng has 30 days to decide whether to seek the death penalty. Haq also is charged with five counts of attempted first-degree murder in the wounding of five women at the federation's downtown offices Friday afternoon; one count of first-degree kidnapping, involving a teenage girl who was briefly taken hostage; one count of first-degree burglary for allegedly entering a locked facility to commit a crime; and one count of malicious harassment under the state's hate-crime law. Haq's court-appointed attorney, C. Wesley Richards, said he would not comment until he had more time to review the case. Haq is being held in the King County Jail without bail.
Posted by: Fred 2006-08-03 |
