David Allen Emanuel, a 62-year-old white man found guilty of trying to run over six Black men at the Rosewood massacre site, has been sentenced to a year in prison.

On Sept. 6, 2022, Emanuel allegedly hurled racial slurs at a group of Black men from his white Ford F-250, demanding they leave the area, according to the Associated Press. Emanuel then attempted to run down the group.

Judge Allen Winsor delivered the sentence Thursday (Oct. 19) for six counts of hate crimes based on Emanuel’s attempt to run over Historian Marvin Dunn, his son Frederick and four other Black men who were surveying Dunn's Rosewood property with the intention of building a memorial for the massacre. Frederick narrowly avoided being hit by leaping into the grass.

Rosewood, a Black community in Levy County, Florida, was destroyed in 1923 in a racially motivated massacre that claimed the lives of dozens of Black residents. The incident was depicted in a 1997 film by the late John Singleton.

For the six charges, Winsor sentenced Emanuel, a retired clam farmer, to 12 months plus one day in federal prison, which will run concurrently. He was instructed to surrender and report to prison by noon on Jan. 2, 2024. Additionally, he has been mandated to undergo two years of supervised release following the completion of his prison term.

The Justice Department sought a “substantial” prison sentence of between five and six years, But Dunn admitted he’s relieved the case is done.

“I think that it’s fair,” he said of the sentence.

Emanuel “provided a lot of value to the community.” Winsor said. “I don’t think he’s going to do something like this again...but there’s a need for general deterrence, and it’s clear he did it because of race.”

Dunn expressed that the attempted attack was “the worst racial upheaval he’s experienced since the Civil Rights era.”

However, the men drove back to their home in Miami with a message of forgiveness in their hearts, as Dunn presented the judge with a letter urging leniency for Emanuel on behalf of the other five survivors. The letter encouraged the country to move forward.

“For me, my faith requires forgiveness, and so I must,” the letter read, [Race] is the thorn in our collective side, the unmovable rock in our common path. For America to become whole, the thorns and rocks must be removed.”

“The victims in this case are hopeful that in our plea for mercy for Mr. Emanuel and his family, we are taking an important step toward the goal of removing these obstacles to healing.”

Over 30 additional letters of support for Emanuel, including from friends and family, were submitted.