DA: Dolores Park Chase Was a Hate Crime

A man accused of shouting racist epithets while chasing an Afro-Latina woman through Dolores Park is expected to be charged with a hate crime.

John Killops, 60, will also be arraigned Wednesday on a charge of making criminal threats, the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office announced hours before the hearing.

This marks the second time in a month that prosecutors filed a hate crime charge over something that happened at Dolores Park. The other case stemmed from a Jan. 30 incident in which a 30-year-old Latino man allegedly yelled “Go back to China” and other slurs while throwing a brick and metal grate at a 73-year-old and two other victims.

Killops has been jailed since his arrest Sunday, and the DA will ask the court to keep him locked up as he awaits trial.

He could spend up to six years in prison if convicted.

The DA said it’s pursuing the hate crime enhancement because prosecutors believe Killops pursued the woman in the park because he was motivated by racism.

“Unfortunately, there are people in San Francisco who harbor hate and animus towards others because of the color of their skin or who they are,” District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said in announcing the charges. “No one should face threats, violence, or discrimination because of who they are period. Hate crimes have been a constant threat against a variety of communities in San Francisco, and we shall seek justice in this case and work to hold Mr. Killops accountable for his actions.”