KEY POINTS

  • Former U.S. Marine was killed after man intentionally crashed pickup into serviceman's motorcycle
  • Phillip Thiessen died after Daniel Navarro "intentionally slammed" into the motorcycle
  • Authorities claim that Thiessen was not targeted because he was a former police officer 
  • Thiessen was a former Fairfax, Virginia police officer and agent for Department of Justice in Wisconsin
  • Navarro was charged with hate crimes and could face life imprisonment if convicted

A former U.S. Marine was killed after a 27-year-old man intentionally crashed his pickup truck into the serviceman's motorcycle last week.

Daniel Navarro was charged with first-degree intentional homicide, using a dangerous weapon and first-degree recklessly endangering safety. The charges, which according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel are all “hate crimes,” came after the death of 55-year-old Phillip Thiessen last Friday, July 3.

County deputies who responded to the crash scene at Winnebago Drive and Taycheedah Way found the lifeless body Thiessen in the roadway. Investigators also said witnesses were “trying to render aid,” with Navarro standing nearby, said Fox News.

Handcuffs
The representational photo shows a handcuffed man at the police headquarters in Lille, northern France, Nov. 29, 2018. Philippe Huguen/AFP/Getty Images

Thiessen was also a former Fairfax, Virginia police officer and served the Wisconsin Department of Justice as an agent.

Fond du Lac Sheriff Ryan Waldschmidt told a patrol sergeant that Navarro said he had “intentionally slammed” into the motorcycle and that he passed a field sobriety test. There is also “no evidence” that pointed to the fact that Thiessen was killed because he was a former police officer.

Instead, Fox 6 said through Heavy that the complaint alleged that Navarro made some “bizarre statements,” including him claiming that he was “intentionally contaminated with a chemical sterilizer” by a Ripon employment supervisor and that he can one of his neighbors “making racist comments through the walls.”

Navarro claimed that those who were poisoning him and giving him acid are all Caucasians and that they targeted him “because he is Mexican.” He further said that he was “thinking about targeting a white person and killing them with a vehicle that day.” The complaint also pointed out that Navarro picked a motorcycle “because he wanted the person to die” and because “white people drive motorcycles” since the “Harley culture is made up of white racists.”

“We do not believe that the suspect knew Phillip had never met with Phillip or had targeted him because of his background in law enforcement,” said Waldschmidt in a press conference Thursday.

Navarro was charged with disorderly conduct last year but it was dismissed by the court. Officers at the time attempted to place Navarro on a 72-hour mental health hold, but the request was denied.

Navarro could face life imprisonment should he be convicted of all charges. His preliminary hearing is set on July 17, said the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, citing court records.