Forty-nine year old James Craig Anderson just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. According to reports, following an all-night party in June, two truckloads of white teens in Mississippi drove to a predominantly black area of town to “go fuck with some niggers”.
Deryl Dedmon, Jr., an 18-year-old Brandon, Mississippi, native, led the group to a parking lot where Anderson was standing near his car. The teens then beat Anderson repeatedly, yelling racial epithets, including “White Power!” While one group left the scene, the other, led by Dedmon, hopped in his Ford 250 and drove right over Anderson as he struggled to get to safety. After the heinous act, Dedmon reportedly told the group in the other vehicle, “I ran that nigger over.” What neither group realized, however, is that the parking lot security camera caught the entire event on tape.
Dedmon was charged with murder with bail set at $50,000. He faces a possible double life sentence. A second teen, 18-year-old Aaron Rice, has been charged with simple assault for his involvement. Neither has entered a plea, and no one else has been charged. CNN’s video footage of the Anderson attack is included below but contains language some viewers may find offensive. Our thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Anderson’s family and friends.
