Michael James Strickland is a Norristown, Pennsylvania man who pleaded guilty in 2022 to ethnic intimidation and terroristic threats after a racially motivated attack on a 19-year-old woman at a Perkiomen Township convenience store, and who was later convicted of separate felonies in Kentucky in 2023.
The Perkiomen Township Attack
On February 16, 2022, around 6:58 p.m., Strickland walked into the MP Gas/Dunkin Donuts at 125 Gravel Pike in Perkiomen Township and bumped into a 19-year-old woman standing in line. She had just finished a shift working at the store.1Patch. Woman Victim of Racist Attack at Montgomery County Store When she asked him to apologize, Strickland used a racial slur and told her, “I swear to God I will hang you from a light pole.” She began recording on her cellphone. He punched her in the back of the head with a closed fist.2The Mercury. Norristown Man Sent to Jail for Ethnic Intimidation, Terroristic Threats
The victim also recorded the license plate of Strickland’s Nissan SUV. That footage and the plate number allowed Pennsylvania State Police to identify and locate him.1Patch. Woman Victim of Racist Attack at Montgomery County Store
The Charges and Guilty Plea
State police charged Strickland with ethnic intimidation, terroristic threats (a felony), simple assault, and harassment.1Patch. Woman Victim of Racist Attack at Montgomery County Store He was 41 at the time and lived on the 500 block of Selma Street in Norristown. He pleaded guilty to ethnic intimidation and terroristic threats, and the simple assault and harassment charges were dismissed under the plea agreement.2The Mercury. Norristown Man Sent to Jail for Ethnic Intimidation, Terroristic Threats
Pennsylvania’s ethnic intimidation statute, 18 Pa.C.S.A. § 2710, applies when an underlying offense such as assault is committed with malicious intent based on race, color, religion, or national origin, and it grades the offense one degree higher than the underlying crime.3New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. 18 Pa.C.S.A. § 2710 – Ethnic Intimidation
The Pennsylvania Sentence
Judge Risa Vetri Ferman sentenced Strickland to 11½ to 23 months in Montgomery County jail followed by three years of probation, five years of court supervision in total. The judge ordered him to have no contact with the victim and to complete evaluations and treatment for drug and alcohol issues, mental health, and anger management.2The Mercury. Norristown Man Sent to Jail for Ethnic Intimidation, Terroristic Threats
The Kentucky Felony Case
Kentucky Department of Corrections records show a Michael James Strickland was convicted in Jefferson County under indictment 23CR239 for conduct on February 6, 2023. The charges were first-degree wanton endangerment and first-degree criminal mischief, both felonies, along with a misdemeanor count of operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol. He received five-year sentences on each felony and 30 days on the misdemeanor.4Kentucky Department of Corrections. Offender Details – Michael Strickland
He is on regular probation supervised through District 19 in Louisville, from September 16, 2024 through August 31, 2029, and is classified as low risk.4Kentucky Department of Corrections. Offender Details – Michael Strickland