BUFFALO, N.Y. — A Buffalo man was virtually arraigned Friday morning on two assault counts, one of them Assault in the Second Degree as a Hate Crime.
Thomas R. Schmeider, Jr. 34, allegedly attacked an African American man with a pipe and called him numerous racial slurs after the victim came to the defense of a woman Schmeider had allegedly pushed to the ground.
The incident happened on Chalmers Avenue in Buffalo the afternoon of June 29, 2020.
Schmeider fled the scene. The victim was taken to ECMC where he received multiple stitches for lacerations to the right side of his head and earlobe.
Schmeider was eventually arrested, indicted and set to be arraigned in March. At the time, he was denied access to the courthouse after claiming he'd been exposed to someone with COVID-19. The arraignment was re-scheduled for April 6 at which time, he failed to appear and a warrant was issued.
Buffalo Police spotted Schmeider on Holden Street Thursday afternoon and arrested him on the outstanding warrant. He's also facing drug charges after police allegedly found on him two bags of suspected fentanyl, one bag of marijuana mixed with suspected cocaine, and two Xanax pills.
He's being held without bail and convicted of all the charges, faces a maximum of 15 years behind bars.
