Judge tosses ethnicity charge against Penn State student

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) _ A judge has dismissed an ethnic intimidation charge against a Penn State student who allegedly harassed an Indian student because of his skin color.
Campus police say 19-year-old Nicholas Tavella, of Greensburg, was drunk when he began following the other student early Saturday, asking whether the victim planned to rape someone. At one point, Tavella allegedly grabbed the other student by the throat and said, “Don’t make me put a bullet in your chest.”
Police say Tavella told them he was “racially profiling” the other student because of his skin color.
Despite that, a State College district judge dismissed the ethnic intimidation charge on Wednesday, but ordered Tavella to trial on seven other counts including stalking, public drunkenness and harassment.
Defense attorney Wayne Bradburn says Tavella “wasn’t motivated by hate. This was motivated by drunken stupidity.”