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Hudson man found guilty of running over Black man during 2021 road rage attack in Belmont
Dean Kapsalis yelled a racial slur at Henry Tapia, a Black man, before hitting Tapia with his truck during the incident.
More on the Henry Tapia case:
A Hudson man was convicted of second-degree murder Monday for striking and killing another man during a racially motivated road rage incident two years ago in Belmont.
A verbal confrontation over turn signals quickly escalated on Jan. 19, 2021 when Dean Kapsalis, 56, hurled a racial slur at 34-year-old Henry Tapia, a Black man from Boston, before hitting Tapia with his pickup truck.
Kapsalis then fled the scene as Tapia lay in the roadway with life-threatening injuries. Tapia later died at Massachusetts General Hospital, leaving behind a partner and three children.
Among the last words he heard were “words that were meant to intimidate and threaten him because of who he was, a person of color,” Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said Monday afternoon.
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Kapsalis has been found guilty of second-degree murder; a violation of constitutional rights causing serious bodily injury; assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury; and leaving the scene after causing injury, Ryan announced.
“We should make no mistake: This was a racially motivated, senseless tragedy,” she said at a press conference.
“What is significant about today’s verdict is that in Middlesex County, when we have violent incidents that are motivated by hate and bigotry, those will not be seen as just background facts,” Ryan continued. “We will charge those separately, prosecute that crime separately, and seek accountability for that piece of what happened.”
Belmont Police Chief James MacIsaac described how Belmont residents who witnessed the crime stepped up to ensure justice for Tapia.
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“They did not hesitate to report what they had seen, and they rushed to provide Mr. Tapia with care in his final moments,” MacIsaac said. “One even chased down the fleeing vehicle to obtain the license plate on the truck.”
“This hate crime will forever be a part of Belmont’s history,” MacIsaac noted.
Still, he added, “with hard work and cooperation, hate will never define the residents of Belmont, and I’m certain our community will continue to work on … making Belmont an inclusive and safe place to live, work, and visit.”
Kapsalis is slated for sentencing on June 27. A second-degree murder conviction carries an automatic life sentence, though the judge has some discretion over when a defendant becomes eligible for parole, according to Ryan.
Asked if Tapia’s family had any comment on the verdict, Ryan said, “I think right now they’re just absorbing what happened. This has been, obviously, a long process.”
Cases like Tapia’s “tear at the fabric of communities, and they make people who live in our communities wonder if they belong here,” she said. “It is our hope that this verdict today gives a resounding answer to that question, that everyone belongs in our communities, and when they are treated in this way, we will investigate. We will charge if appropriate, and we will seek full accountability.”
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