Father, Son Who Shot At Black Teens Riding ATVs Sentenced To 4 Years In Prison

A white father and son in Mississippi were each sentenced to four years in prison after being convicted for shooting at two Black teenagers who were riding all-terrain vehicles on a country road last year.

Wade Oscar Twiner, 49, of Yazoo City, and his 22-year-old son Lane Twiner, of Jackson, were sentenced Friday in Yazoo County, the Associated Press reported. Two days prior, jurors convicted each man of two counts of simple assault and one count of malicious mischief.

The penalty for the assault convictions was increased after the actions of the Twiners were deemed hate crimes, according to the Yazoo County district attorney's office. Under Mississippi law, stronger penalties are given for crimes motivated by the victim's actual or perceived race, color, ancestry, ethnicity, religion, national origin or gender.

The father and son were arrested after chasing the two teens, who were not named in the report, in Yazoo County on Sept. 27, 2020. The victims were unharmed but said they were frightened for their lives.

They had been riding their ATVs on a country road close to Wade’s home when the father and son got in a pickup and chased them, according to Chief Deputy Joseph Head of the Yazoo County Sheriff’s Office.

Several shots were fired at the teenagers, and the Twiners bumped into one of the ATVs with their truck during the chase. Police were able to recover a 9 mm handgun that night.

The Twiners said they owned land on both sides of the public road where the teens drove the ATVs and claimed they should not have to deal with people riding ATVs, Yazoo County Sheriff Jake Sheriff told WLBT.

The sheriff noted that the law prohibiting the operation of ATVs on public roads in Mississippi is not strictly enforced. He also said other people were riding ATVs near the Twiners' home the day they shot at the Black teenagers.

The Twiners were each sentenced to 6 months in prison and a $500 fine for simple assault. After being found guilty of hate crimes, their sentences were increased to a year and $1,000 fine, which means they will serve two years consecutively for both counts of simple assault, The Clarion-Ledger reported, citing the district attorney's office.

The father and son will only serve two years of their five-year sentences for malicious mischief as they had three years suspended. These will run consecutively with the previous sentences.

In total, the Twiners will each serve four years in a Mississippi Department of Corrections prison with three years of supervised probation. They will also be required to undergo complete sensitivity training and perform 100 hours of community service.

The father and son were also ordered to pay $2,500 in restitution to the victims and additional penalties of $3,500. The Twiners have been prohibited from speaking to the victims or their families. They initially faced up to 20 years in prison for the charges.