Johnny White’s relatives had questioned the handling of the case after describing racial harassment before the June attack that hospitalized him.
LYONS, N.Y. — More than two months after Johnny White was seriously injured in an alleged attack by a Newark neighbor, a Wayne County grand jury has indicted the accused man on second-degree assault as a hate crime, following sustained concern from White and his family about alleged racial harassment before the violence.
Brandon Watt, 39, pleaded not guilty Sept. 1 in Wayne County Court. Prosecutors said Watt targeted White, who is Black, with racial slurs and threats in the weeks before the June 23 attack. The new charge represents a change from the early stages of the investigation, when Newark police said the case was not then being treated as a hate crime.
White’s family had publicly questioned that initial position while authorities continued gathering evidence. Relatives said the alleged attack did not happen in isolation and pointed to earlier confrontations involving racial language. Newark officials later emphasized that the investigation remained open and that the Wayne County District Attorney’s Office would ultimately determine what charges were supported by the evidence.
Police had first responded to the 300 block of Siegrist Street on June 1 after White reported being threatened during a verbal confrontation. He told officers the man involved used racial slurs. At the time, police documented the complaint but had not identified the suspect.
Police returned to the same area June 23 for a reported disturbance. Investigators said Watt attacked White as White retreated toward the side yard of his residence, striking him from behind and then hitting him multiple times. Authorities said a 2-by-4 was recovered as evidence. White suffered fractures involving his nose, jaw and orbital bone and required hospitalization.
After investigators were able to interview White, police said they linked Watt to the June 1 harassment complaint. Investigators also spoke with witnesses and reviewed video evidence as they worked to establish what happened before and during the later assault. Watt initially faced charges that included second-degree assault, third-degree criminal possession of a weapon and endangering the welfare of a child.
The case drew community attention as White recovered. Family members and supporters gathered publicly in the weeks after the attack, while relatives continued pressing for a full examination of the racial allegations. White’s children said their concern centered not only on the injuries he suffered but also on what they described as a pattern of threatening conduct before the assault.
White, now 71, appeared with family members at Watt’s arraignment Tuesday. He said afterward that the experience had been physically and mentally difficult but that he wanted the courts to determine the outcome. His relatives filled the courtroom in a visible show of support during the proceeding.
Watt was ordered held on $25,000 cash bail. Prosecutors said second-degree assault as a hate crime is a Class C felony carrying a possible sentence of up to 15 years in prison upon conviction. His defense attorney declined to comment after court, and Watt has pleaded not guilty to the allegations.
The criminal case remains pending, and the indictment is not a finding of guilt. Watt is due back in Wayne County Court later in September, while White and his family continue to follow the proceedings that grew out of the June attack.
Author note: Last updated September 2, 2026.