Man Wears Blackface as Defendant in Court, Claiming He Was Treated 'Like a Black Man'

A Hawaii man entered court Monday wearing blackface, saying he did so because the system treated him "like a black man."

Mark Char, a resident of Oahu, was convicted for a road rage incident from 2016 in which he was yesterday found guilty for the attempted murder and assault of three other men, stabbing one driver, one passenger and one bystander.

Char, who was wearing glasses and an orange jumpsuit during the hearing, was sentenced to life in prison with a possibility of parole. He then spoke, as recorded from Hawaii News Now's social media page.

"I prepared myself to play my part in your kangaroo court — treating me like a black man, so today I'm going to be a black man," Char said on KGBM-TV. "Now this kangaroo court is giving me a life sentence for me trying to protect and defend myself against the attack from three guys, in essence treating me like a black man."

Char is not a black man, nor were his victims, who are Filipino and white, according to a Washington Post report. One of the victims was stabbed five times.

The TV station said Char used a permanent black marker to color his entire face.

During the sentencing, Judge Todd Eddins told Char that he is not a black man, but rather a menace to society.

"If you look in the mirror, Mr. Char, you're not gonna see a black person," the judge said. "You're gonna see a menace. You're gonna see a menace to society."

Kyle Dowd was the deputy prosecutor on the case who said Char's statements were "bizarre."

"I cannot be more adamant that there was nothing about the case — the facts or the way the evidence came out or the way our department prosecuted it, the way the judge [presided] over it — there's nothing that relates to any racial issues regarding African Americans whatsoever," Dowd said.

According to The Post, two of the victims said Char cut them off on the freeway and then braked in front of them. When the two men tried to get out of their car to confront him, Char pepper-sprayed them. Char then stabbed both men and then also stabbed a "Good Samaritan" trying to assist.

The prosecuting attorney said Char had been difficult to work with — including refusals to be transported to court and claiming he was too ill at times to appear.

"I can't speak for the judge, but that the fact that he showed up like that yesterday — at least for me, I think everybody just wanted to get it over with," Dowd said.

Blackface is considered a mockery of black people dating back to the pre-civil rights era.