Bond was set at $25,000 for a Galesburg man on hate crime charges following a Thursday morning arrest.
Court records indicate that 37-year-old Bradley J. Qualls made a video appearance in Knox County Circuit Court with Jude Scott Shiplett on Friday. As a stipulation of his bail, he was ordered to stay away from Galesburg High School, where the alleged incident took place.
According to police reports, officers observed the incident at 7:39 a.m. at the high school – which involved Qualls, who is white, and a black woman.
Reports indicate that he and the woman exchanged words and alleged that Qualls used a racial slur towards the woman.
He was also observed squealing his tires and fishtailing his vehicle as he turned on to Fremont and would be pulled over nearby.
School administration informed officers that Qualls had struck the woman’s car and pushed it while in the circle drive. Damage was observed to both the rear of her vehicle, and the front of Qualls’.
It was indicated to police that at one point Qualls stepped out of his vehicle and made a threat of violence towards to the woman before driving off.
It was also noted in the police report that the woman had a small child in the car with her, and that at one point she was in fear of for the safety of herself and the child.
Police noted that he repeatedly used the slur throughout the entire interaction with police, telling them he calls everybody by the slur.
Qualls was arrested and transported to the Knox County Jail while awaiting his Friday detention hearing.
Qualls faces two counts of felony hate crime and misdemeanors of criminal damage to property under $500, reckless driving, and disorderly conduct.
