3 Army Rangers charged in hate crime

Three Army Rangers based at Fort Lewis have been charged with malicious harassment for allegedly assaulting an African-American man and using a racial slur outside a Lacey bar early Friday morning.

Thurston County prosecutors also charged Spec. Samuel Crino, 21, Sgt. Paul Pace, 21, and Spec. David Pace, 20, who are white, with second-degree assault in the attack outside the Viking Lounge. The three had recently returned from Iraq, according to the Army.

Malicious harassment is Washington state's hate-crime statute. It covers crimes motivated by "perception of the victim's race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, or mental, physical, or sensory handicap."

Crino and Paul Pace are attached to 1st Platoon, C Company.

Four Rangers from the same 40-man unit, known as the Madslashers, last year were arrested after a robbery of a Tacoma bank in August.

Luke Sommer, who is accused of masterminding the robbery, shared a room with Crino for parts of 2004 and 2005, according to Carol Darby, a spokeswoman for U.S. Army Special Operations Command at Fort Benning, Ga.

David Pace, Paul Pace's brother, is attached to B Company.

All of the Ranger companies based at Fort Lewis are part of 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, which includes roughly 900 elite soldiers.

"U.S. Army Special Operations Command and their subordinate commands take incidents of this nature very seriously and we ensure that they are investigated thoroughly," Darby said. Paul Pace allegedly instigated the incident in the bar's restroom by asking the victim "if he wanted to say something about his mother," according to court documents.

The victim, whose name has not been released, allegedly went outside to smoke a cigarette. The Rangers followed and allegedly assaulted him in the parking lot. All three Rangers are accused of using racial epithets during the assault. The victim was treated for minor scrapes and bruises and released from a hospital Friday, according to Lacey police.

Second-degree assault is a class B felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine. Malicious harassment is a class C felony punishable by up to five years in prison.

Crino and the Pace brothers are scheduled to be arraigned in Thurston County Superior Court on Feb. 13.

David Bowermaster: 206-464-2724 or dbowermaster@seattletimes.com