25-year-old man pleads not guilty to violent assault on trans woman Nikki Armstrong
Nikki Armstrong was violently assaulted in Renton. (Supplied)
Nikki Armstrong was violently assaulted in Renton. (Supplied)
A man has pleaded not guilty to the violent assault of trans woman Nikki Armstrong in Renton, Washington.
Armstrong spoke to PinkNews following the attack, which occurred on 15 September at around 8:20pm in the 200 block of Burnett Ave S. She said she no longer feels safe in the US, adding that “Trump has all but greenlit this type of violence”.
Ranmore Edwards, 25, pleaded not guilty to assault and hate crime charges relating to the case.
He’s being held on a $300,000 bail after prosecutes cited public safety concerns. He will be back in court next month, as reported by MyNorthwest.
Edwards turned himself in after a member of his family convinced him to do so after recognising his photo on Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound.
Alongside 25-year-old Edwards, prosecutors have charged a 16-year-old boy, who is being held under electronic home monitoring, and a 25-year-old man.
Two teenage brothers, aged 15 and 17, have been released on electronic home monitoring on charges of second-degree assault after being accused of attacking Armstrong.
Following the assault, Armstrong told PinkNews she felt “scared and angry”, but said those feelings have since “turned to sadness.”
Armstrong intially launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise $20,000 to help cover costs while she is unable to work and to pay for surgery to repair her nose and possibly her eye socket. After surpassing her goal, she raised the target to $40,000, with more than £35,000 already donated.
But the attack has highlighted the concerning rise in anti-trans hate in America, following a spate of Trump administration orders targeting the trans community. Sadly, Armstrong admits she no longer feels safe in the US.
She explained: “I want to be clear about this: it’s not because I’m worried about being randomly attacked by teenagers. It is because of the presidential Administration that we have and their policies that I feel less safe now as a trans person than I ever have.
“Trump has all but greenlit this type of violence and sadly I expect we will see more.”
Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, and remember to keep the conversation respectful.
