Defendant sentenced on hate crime charge

Tommy Dean Gaa, 66, Maryville, was sentenced Friday in Nodaway County Circuit Court in connection with an assault, classed as a hate crime, the defendant committed on Sunday, Jan. 25, at the Maryville Hy-Vee supermarket.

Gaa entered an Alford plea to a felony charge of third-degree assault motivated by discrimination in October. Defendants entering such a plea do not admit guilt, but acknowledge that the prosecution probably has sufficient evidence to win a conviction.

In terms of sentencing and establishment of a criminal record, an Alford plea is no different than a guilty plea.

Presiding Circuit Judge Roger Prokes sentenced Gaa to 75 days in jail along with five years of supervised probation. Failure to meet the terms of his probation would mean that Gaa could serve up to three years in prison.

According to court records, Gaa grabbed the arm of a Hy-Vee employee in the grocery store’s dining area. The employee, who was not identified due to the nature of the crime, had asked Gaa if he wanted white or wheat toast, and Gaa responded by saying, “I’m prejudiced. I’ll take white.”

Moments later, according to court records, Gaa approached the employee and grabbed her arm in a manner that caused bruising then asked her if she “liked to party.”

Records further show that Gaa told the woman, “I have a place I would like to take you where I hung your grandpa.”

A probable cause statement filed by a Maryville Public Safety officer indicated Gaa initially denied making the statements, then admitted that he committed at least some of the acts described above.

According to the officer’s report, Gaa also “volunteered” a comment about there being “good and bad” people of different races, and in doing so uttered an offensive term for people of African descent.

Prokes said the assault charge filed against Gaa would normally have been a misdemeanor but was elevated to a felony under Missouri’s hate crimes statute.