CLEARWATER, Fla — A St. Petersburg man is behind bars Thursday after he allegedly pulled a knife on a black woman saying "Black people are going to take over St. Petersburg", police say.
Clearwater police said that the assault happened around 6 p.m. Thursday on a Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority bus.
According to the affidavit Thomas Edward Kollar, 64, allegedly pulled out a knife and walked toward the victim spouting “hurtful words.”
The woman told police she began praying and feared for her life.
Officers say Kollar told them he pulled the knife on the woman because she was Black and that "Black people are going to take over St. Petersburg."
Kollar claimed he needed the knife to protect himself and refused to hand it over to police.
A second affidavit said that after the suspect was taken into custody, police found a loaded syringe in his pocket. The suspect told police that the syringe didn’t have heroin, but instead meth for pain relief.
Kollar faces charges for aggravated assault, possession of methamphetamine, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
