Former Wausau mayoral candidate faces hate crime charges

Editor’s note: This story contains disturbing language taken from circuit court documents and may be upsetting to some readers. Please read with caution.

A former candidate for Wausau mayor is facing criminal charges that include a hate crime enhancer after a racially-charged altercation at a local convenience store, court records show.

Christopher C. Wood, 29, sought the mayoral seat in an unsuccessful campaign run earlier this year. In a three-way February primary, Wood received 223 votes, or about 5 percent of the total, which eliminated him from contention. Incumbent Mayor Katie Rosenberg and challenger Doug Diny moved forward in the race, and Diny won the seat in April. Wood previously ran in 2022 to represent Dist. 1 on the Marathon County Board of Supervisors. He lost that race as well.

The charges, filed last week, stem from a May 12 report of a fight at a convenience store in the 1400 block of West Street in Wausau, where Wood allegedly approached a White woman who was shopping with a Black man. Audio captured on surveillance video shows Wood started the argument by telling the woman “stay away from Black guys, young lady. White babies are adorable.”

The woman reacted in apparent shock and said there is enough hate in the world, according to the police report. But Wood fired back with a comment that he was saying it for the “white race” and he can “stand up for white women.” He then said he wanted to talk with the woman about how Black people are “ruining the country and she shouldn’t be messing with a Black person.”

When the woman’s companion became upset, Wood allegedly reacted by calling him the “n” word and said he was “ruining the country” because he was Black.

Wood then allegedly approached the woman with his arms outstretched for a hug.

“You’re white, give me a hug,” he allegedly said. “I like you.”

Additional video captured by a bystander showed Wood allegedly saying he was standing up for white privilege and that he can say anything he wants because it is freedom of speech. That video also captured additional statements allegedly made by Wood that said “N*****s acting like a n****r,” along with “I’m just speaking the truth….n*****s are destroying our country.”

A bystander called Wood a racist, the video shows, to which he replied “I don’t care.”

In an interview with police, Wood allegedly told the officer to “keep fighting n*****s because they’re taking over our country. N*****s are destroying our country, officer.”

Investigators located several witnesses and reviewed multiple videos before referring the case to the Marathon County District Attorney. Police say the people allegedly confronted by Wood were not acquainted with him prior to the altercation.

On July 26, prosecutors filed charges in Marathon County Circuit Court of disorderly conduct against Wood in connection with the incident. The misdemeanor charge carries a hate crime enhancer allowable under stat law because Wood allegedly “intentionally selected” the victim “in whole or in part because of his perception of race.

Some speech, even some hateful speech, is protected by the First Amendment, as long as it does not incite violence or pose a direct threat to public safety. But Wisconsin law can pursue hate crime charges if the victim was chosen “in whole or in part because of the actor’s belief or perception regarding the race, religion, color, disability, sexual orientation, national origin or ancestry of that person or the owner or occupant of that property, whether or not the actor’s belief or perception was correct.”

Woods on July 26 was issued a summons after charges were filed. He will be summoned into court Aug. 14 to make an initial appearance in the case.

Wausau Pilot reached out to Wood for comment but did not receive a reply by press time. A response will be added to this story if one is received.