Indiana woman gets six years in prison for racially-motivated attack on college student

A Bloomington, Ind., woman was sentenced to six years in prison in the racially-motivated attack of an Indiana University student.

Billie Davis, 57, pleaded guilty to willfully causing bodily injury to the victim, an IU freshman of Chinese descent.

According to documents filed in connection with this case, on Jan. 11, 2023, the student was riding a Bloomington Transit bus on her way to school. As the student stood to exit the bus at her stop, Davis reached for a folding knife from inside her pocket and stabbed the student in the head seven to 10 times.

Davis later admitted to the police that she attacked the student because she is Chinese and because Davis believed the student was the “enemy.”

“Racially motivated violence has no place in our society,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke. “This defendant pulled out a knife and viciously attacked a young woman who was simply riding a public bus to school, seriously injuring her because she was of Chinese descent. The sentence imposed for this heinous hate crime should send a strong message that perpetrators of hate-fueled violence will be held accountable. The Justice Department is committed to protecting every American from hate crimes by investigating and vigorously prosecuting those who carry out such heinous attacks.”