On Tuesday, February 22, 2011, at 8:30am, in the Courtroom at 180 Lockwood Boulevard, a hate crime assault with a deadly weapon and threat case was heard against a black male, Dwayne Cochran. He, along with a co-suspect, whose identity has yet to be discovered, assaulted two white homosexual males at the West Ashley Wal-Mart on Sunday, February 20, 2011, at approximately 1:45am. Police responded to the 911 call placed by a Wal-Mart employee, the greeter. Surveillance footage was acquired by CPD from Wal-Mart management. Defendant Cochran was collared in a traffic stop conducted by the first responding officer (after back-up arrived at the Wal-Mart scene to continue taking a description from the victims) in Grande Oaks apartment complex, the entrance of which is located within feet from the entrance to the West Ashley Wal-Mart. The first responding officer, Melanie Donald, was provided the "tip" or information of where the suspects drove off to by a standby eye witness citizen, a shopper at Wal-Mart, who followed the suspects' vehicle after they left. Both victims, who will remain nameless for protection of their identity, positively identified the defendant (separately) at the traffic stop in Grande Oaks apartment complex. The victims also positively identified the vehicle he was stopped in; however, he was the only vehicle's occupant at the time of the traffic stop. He was exiting the apartment complex when Officer Donald arrived; he claimed he had just dropped out his fellow assaulter. He would not cooperate with police to give-up the name of the other black male, who was short and wearing a red jacket, red hat, and white t-shirt. Defendant Cochran was released Sunday, February 20, 2011, around 11am, after victims were notified around 10am, that he would be released after Bond Hearing on a PR bond, having to post NO bail. Victims have still not been notified of any further findings regarding the other individual in the ongoing investigation. A knife was pulled out during the attack as intimidation, but never used. Thus, he is being charged with threat. Otherwise, he is being charged with two counts of Simple Assault, one for each of the victims. Both the defendant and the unknown suspect assaulted both victims by throwing several punches. Both victims had injuries to the head; one of them had an injury to the back of the head, and the other to the face. The attack was absolutely unprovoked and both the defendant and unknown suspect were yelling "faggots, sissies, get the fuck out of our store" to the two victims prior to attacking. The attack took place in the area of Wal-Mart that is in between the two automatic entrance doors, like where people get shopping carts from. Unfortunately, he cannot be charged with a Hate Crime because SC has no statutes in place for that. CPD has confirmed that the charged individual matches one of the individuals in the surveillance. It did take CPD 15 minutes to arrive on scene, after the time the 911 call was placed, and it took EMS 25 minutes to arrive on scene, after the time the 911 call was place. EMS cleared the victim that sought medical attention; the other victim declined. The two victims will be appearing in court to testify. Surveillance footage will be shown. Defendant Cochran has priors, available in the online Public Records search at the City of Charleston Municipal Court website. Priors include charges such as drug possessions, resisting arrest, and assaulting a police officer. Why did the bond hearing allow him to be released as a free man on a PR bond, requiring no bail to be posted? He's going to put the word out to his co-assaulter and urge him to lay low or flee. Possibly, Defendant Cochran may even flee or not show back up to court considering his priors. If he's willing to assault a police officer, resist arrest, possess and/or distribute and/or sell drugs, and assault two gay males in Wal-Mart, he is not afraid of the law and jail is not scaring him obviously. Officer Donald stated they will be pushing for the maximum amount of jail time for each count of the charges and each charge, meaning since 30 days is the max for Simple Assault, they will press for 30 days for each count of Simple Assault plus 30 days for threat so 90 days total. Victims are worried that in three months, when the defendant is released (if found guilty) if the judge does not cut him slack, he will remember the victims that pressed charges on him and the reason he spent three months in jail, will he not come after the victims? He will see them in court and hear them testify against him. They obviously shop in the same neighborhood stores. They may live close.

CASE # 11-02693

Shoppers in the area need to be warned that if you are homosexual, you should not shop at this Wal-Mart!

Please draw attention to this as advocacy for gay rights and to shine the light on and bring attention to gay hate crimes! The community deserves to know.

The defendant plead not guilty and was not represented by council, but was found guilty on all counts, convicted of two counts of Simple Assault, and was sentenced the max jail time of 30 days for each count to be served concurrently.