NEWBURYPORT, MASS. (WHDH) - Police say that they have identified a man accused of verbally accosting a group of middle-school-aged boys handing out donut holes in Newburyport on Thursday.
The department withheld the man’s name but say that witnesses told them he engaged in a verbal spat and shouted a racial expletive at the young teenagers before driving off down State Street.
Those who witnessed the alleged incident were able to provide police with cellphone footage showing part of the exchange and the man’s license plate.
The department is consulting the Essex District Attorney’s Office on whether the incident meets the standard for a hate, or bias-motivated, crime.
The incident remains under investigation.
(Copyright (c) 2025 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)