A man was arrested Monday and accused of threatening people in a Dupont Circle Wawa and attacking the manager with a Capital BikeShare bicycle in what the police are investigating as a hate crime.
Charging documents say that 33-year-old Nehemiah Taylor was in the store on 19th Street Northwest Monday afternoon, yelling and threatening people.
After the manager threw him out, Taylor allegedly traced the word “die” with his finger on the store’s glass door and banged on the windows.
When the manager went outside to try to get Taylor to move, Taylor picked up a BikeShare bike and hit him with it, the charging documents said, then yelled several homophobic slurs at the manager and threatened to kill him.
Taylor then allegedly went back into the store, left again, and was arrested as he tried to leave the area.
Police said Taylor admitted to the allegations.
Taylor has been charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, felony threats and theft of the bicycle, which the police said he admitted not having rented.
Due to the nature of the slurs and threats, police are investigating it as a possible hate crime.
Taylor has been released with an order to stay away.
WTOP’s Neal Augenstein contributed to this report.
