A disabled veteran and St. Leo University student says a road rage incident resulted in him being called a racial slur and slapped.
Stewart Hogg provided ABC Action News with cell phone video showing a female driver approaching his car window and calling him a "white a** cracker." According to Hogg, the woman then reached through the driver's side window and slapped him.
"This is racism, this is what we are trying to eliminate in this country," said Hogg.
Hogg called Pasco County deputies and St. Leo University campus police.
According to Hogg, he was driving to school around 9 a.m. Tuesday when a female driver began tailgating him on State Road 52.
"She was really mean," he explained.
The female driver eventually passed Hogg and drove into the school's parking deck, an affidavit shows.
It was once both drivers were in the parking garage that Hogg says the female driver parked her car, got out, walked up to his window, yelled the racial slur and then slapped his forearm because he was recording the woman.
The recording does now show Hogg being slapped, deputies say.
"She hit me, that is what upsets me more. She took it to the next level. If I had hit someone on a campus would i still be here?" Hogg questioned.
Campus security ended up pulling the female driver out of class for questioning. The female driver admitted she was driving behind Hogg but claimed he was brake checking her, or kept tapping his breaks.
The student reportedly told deputies she knew Hogg was recording her and felt uncomfortable. The student admitted she tried slapping the phone out of Hoggs' hands but never reached into his car, an affidavit shows.
Deputies say once the female driver parked her car, Hogg pulled up next to where she was walking and continued to record and continued the confrontation. They say campus video shows the female student walk up to Hoggs' car window and making a swinging motion followed by a second motion.
Campus surveillance does not show the female strike Hogg, break the plane of his window, or hit his car, deputies say.
According to deputies, based off the St. Leo video footage, it appears Hogg has the opportunity to discontinue his encounter with the female student but seemed to maintain contact on his own accord.
Based of Hogg's video, it also appears the female student could have discontinued her involvement prior to passing Hogg on the road and prior to entering the parking garage, deputies said.
ABC Action News is not naming the female student because she has not been charged in the case.
Deputies are recommended simply battery charges and have handed the case off to the State Attorney's Office for further review.
St. Leo University spokesperson Kim Payne told ABC Action News he cannot comment directly on incidents involving students and cannot confirm or deny the event took place due to student privacy.
"Saint Leo University takes any student incident seriously," said Payne in a written statement. "They are investigated and the proper process is applied internally and with local law enforcement involvement when appropriate. As a private institution, and due to student confidentiality, we are limited to the type and amount of information we can disclose."
Hogg wants not only an apology but a stricter punishment.
"She needs to be brought before a board and excused from campus while this is investigated or at least brought in front of a board and told, 'Hey, you did something really bad,'" Hogg said.
ABC Action News went to the student's Hillsborough County home but she was not there. We also emailed her for comment but did not receive a response.
