West Virginia couple accused of hate crime for shooting Black man with paintball gun

WESTON, W.Va. — A West Virginia couple is accused of a hate crime for allegedly shouting obscenities at two Black men, one of whom was shot with a paintball gun, authorities said.

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Troy Pertuset, 36, and Brandy Pertuset, 38, both of Jane Lew, were charged with committing a hate crime, WBOY-TV reported.

According to the Weston Police Department, officers received a complaint on Nov. 10 about the occupants of a vehicle who “started yelling racial slurs,” the television station reported, citing a criminal complaint.

Police said that Troy Pertuset allegedly shot a paintball gun from the vehicle and struck the victim in the chest, WDTV reported.

About 12 minutes later, police were called to a gas station, where witnesses said a man and a woman were in a car “yelling and threatening” a Black man.

Officers later identified Troy and Brandy Pertuset as the same people who were involved in the earlier incident, according to WDTV.

According to the criminal complaint, Troy Pertuset claimed he had a pistol and was going to shoot the man “for talking to my wife,” WBOY reported.

The couple was arrested and taken to the Central Regional Jail, according to the television station. Bail was set at $50,000 for each, online records show.

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