Local man charged under Richland
County’s new hate crime law
Jonathan Felkel, a 33-year-old white man, has become the first person charged under Richland County, South Carolina’s newly enacted hate crime ordinance after allegedly shooting at a Black jogger in the Spring Valley neighborhood on July 17, 2025. Felkel faces multiple charges, including assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, and violating the hate intimidation ordinance passed by Richland County Council in June.
According to Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott, Felkel drove up to the victim, fired a gun, and shouted a racial slur, telling the jogger to “keep on running boy” before leaving the scene. Both Felkel and the victim live in Spring Valley but did not know each other prior to the attack. In a statement and subsequent police interview, Felkel admitted he shot at the jogger solely based on his race, with the explicit intent to instill fear in the victim as a result of his identity.
The incident was captured on security video reviewed by investigators, and Felkel was arrested following the investigation and identification by local security personnel. He is currently being held at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center with a bond hearing scheduled, and his first court appearance is set for September 26, 2025.
Richland County’s hate intimidation ordinance, which went into effect in June, makes it a misdemeanor to cause fear or harm to a person or property based on characteristics such as race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or disability.
The ordinance is landmark legislation as South Carolina remains one of only two states without a statewide hate crime law. Violation of the county’s ordinance carries penalties of up to a $500 fine or 30 days in jail, but Felkel also faces more serious felony charges for his actions.
Sheriff Lott emphasized that bringing a hate crime charge in this case should send a clear message: “you can and will be arrested if you commit a crime based solely on hate.”
Community members and advocacy groups have responded to the case as a significant step forward in enforcing protections against targeted violence and discrimination at the local level.
