NH Attorney General says Dover woman threatened violence against Black child over broken toy

The New Hampshire Attorney General is accusing a Dover woman of violating the Civil Rights Act after allegedly threatening to kneel on a 9-year-old Black child’s neck in a park.

According to prosecutors, 51-year old Kristina Graper made the threat after the child accidentally broke a foam toy owned by her son.

Graper is also accused of yelling a racial slur at the child, who is identified only by his initials in court paperwork.

According to a complaint filed by prosecutors in Strafford County Superior Court, “the incident had an impact upon [the child], who understood the defendant’s threat to be a reference to the murder of George Floyd in 2020. When the defendant made her threat to [the child], he began to cry. Since the threat, [the child] has been afraid to return to the park and will only do so when other children are there to help keep him safe.”

Graper denied to police that she threatened to kneel on the child’s neck, instead stating that she told the child “you wonder why you guys get f***ing kneeled on.”

Violations of the Civil Rights Act carry up to a $5,000 fine. Graper will make her initial court appearance on Nov. 17.

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These articles are being shared by partners in The Granite State News Collaborative as part of our race and equity project. For more information visit collaborativenh.org.