A Massachusetts man convicted of homicide within the 2021 loss of life of a Black man after a racist street rage encounter was sentenced Wednesday to life in jail with the potential of parole after 15 years.
Dean Kapsalis, of Hudson, was convicted by a jury final yr of second-degree homicide, violation of constitutional rights and different offenses within the killing of Henry Tapia. Kapsalis and Tapia acquired into an argument on Jan. 19, 2021. Investigators discovered that because the argument wound down, Kapsalis shouted a racial slur after which hit Tapia together with his pickup as he drove off. Tapia died at a hospital, prosecutors mentioned.
“The homicide of Henry Tapia is a mindless tragedy fueled by hate and anger,” District Legal professional Marian Ryan mentioned final yr after the conviction. “The truth that among the final phrases Henry Tapia heard had been a horrific racial insult meant to intimidate and threaten him based mostly on the colour of his pores and skin is one thing we can not tolerate.”
Decide David A. Deakin, in response to The Boston Globe, known as the sentence Wednesday proportional to the crime. Whereas he took under consideration the assist Kasalis acquired from family and friends, he famous that “your document displays primarily a lifelong tendency towards violence.”
Deakin additionally addressed family members of Tapia, who left behind a fiancee and youngsters.
“I’m effectively conscious that no sentence may give them what they most need, which is to have Mr. Tapia again,” Deakin mentioned. “If I may, I wouldn’t do something apart from that.”
Kapsalis argued at trial that Tapia’s loss of life was an accident. His sentencing was delayed by his unsuccessful try to scale back his conviction to manslaughter.
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