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Police investigate hate e-mail to Sonics Posted: Wednesday February 27, 2002 12:40 PMSEATTLE (AP) -- Police have been contacted about an anti-Yugoslav e-mail message to a Seattle SuperSonics fan club Web site but say it does not appear to constitute a hate crime. Neither of the team's two Yugoslav natives, Predrag Drobnjak and Vladimir Radmanovic, was named in the message, which read in part, "I hate your ... organization now, and I hope someone kills him and all other Yugo bastards in the NBA." The e-mail, sent by someone who described himself as the son of a Croatian father, also referred to the Sacramento Kings, for which Yugoslav center Vlade Divac plays, as "a pack of peasants," and praised Atlanta Hawks forward Toni Kukoc, a Croat. Sonics spokeswoman Valerie O'Neil said police were contacted on Feb. 21, the day after the e-mail was received. "We take these things very seriously," O'Neil said. Police said Tuesday the message does not appear to violate Washington state's malicious harassment statute, which makes it a felony to assault, threaten or damage the property of anyone on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation or handicap. To prove a hate crime in court, evidence must show the primary motivation is discrimination, and the law states, "Words alone do not constitute malicious harassment." The e-mail did not state that the sender planned to assault any players because of their national origin, so prosecution would be futile even if the sender is identified, police Sgt. Ed Striedinger said. Radmanovic nor Drobnjak said they had not known of the e-mail. "I haven't seen anything," Radmanovic said Tuesday night after the Sonics' game in Cleveland. "I have no reason to worry about it."
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