Man arrested after telling black waitress he wants to take her 'Where he hung her Grandpa' (VIDEO)

tommy gaa

Racism may be over according to the GOP and the Supreme Court, but outside those particular delusional conservative bubbles the rest of America realizes that outright race-based bigotry is still a... thing.

As is often the case, we need look no further than the state of Missouri to see that racism is alive and well. Tommy Dean Gaa, 65, of Maryville, was charged with felony assault motivated by discrimination after he accosted an African-American waitress whose only crime was serving him breakfast.


On Sunday, January 25, Gaa was ordering his meal at a HyVee when the waitress asked him if he wanted white or wheat toast. Gaa responded, "I'm prejudiced. I'll take white."


Just moments later, out of the blue, he reportedly roughly grabbed the waitress's arm, causing bruising. Gaa allegedly asked the African-American woman if she "liked to party."


When she said "no," according to a probable cause statement, he told the waitress:



I have a place I would like to take you where I hung your grandpa.



At this point, the employee retreated to the kitchen area.

Maryville Public Safety Officer Adam James says Gaa initially denied the allegations, but eventually admitted to at least some of that which he was accused. James' report indicates that Gaa "volunteered" a comment about "good and bad" people of different races existing.


In protesting his innocence, Gaa reportedly uttered a few racial slurs. "He volunteered his opinion that, 'There are good white people, there's bad white people, there's good (n-word) and there's bad (n-word),'" according to the Maryville Police Department.


Nodaway County Prosecuting Attorney Robert Rice told Fox 2 that Gaa's remarks were bad enough, but Gaa crossed the line when he placed his hands on the waitress.


"The restaurant has been very supportive," the prosecutor said. "I can't be more proud of the victim. She is a sweet girl and she works hard, has a couple of jobs and didn't deserve this. She's just doing her job and this guy comes up and he was being a jerk. But that crossed the line when he grabs her."


"This girl was just doing her job," Rice said. "She didn't deserve this. He crossed the line. My heart goes out to the victim."


"It offended me," Rice said. "Here we treat with respect and dignity so when someone crosses the line they are going to be prosecuted... We will not stand for anybody who mistreats another person, especially because of the color of their skin or what they think is the color of their skin."


Gaa was taken into custody, and released on $4,900 bond.


Watch a report on the incident, below, via News 5:


Chomsky: We Are All – Fill in the Blank.

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