Man Admits He Made Up "Trump Country Lynching" Hate Crime, Says He Did It To "Raise Awareness"

An African-American man in Malden, Massachusetts has now admitted that he fabricated a hate crime report when he claimed two white men accosted him, saying the U.S. is now "Trump country," and threatened to lynch him.

A man in the suburb north of Boston told police on Tuesday that he was accosted by two white men after getting off a Boston mass transit bus near Broadway Square in Malden.

The complainant, who has remained unidentified, said the men used racial slurs and warned him he would soon be lynched because the U.S. is now "Trump country." The man said he ran away and hid, waiting for the men to go away before calling police.

Malden police immediately prioritized the report as a "hate crime" and an investigation was opened. But now police are reporting that their investigation revealed a hoax had been committed.

"As a result, it has been determined that the story was completely fabricated," Malden police Chief Kevin Molis said in a statement reported by the Boston Herald. "The alleged victim admitted that he had made up the entire story," saying he wanted to "raise awareness about things that are going on around the country."

Malden Mayor Gary Christenson said he was relieved that the incident turned out to be a hoax.

"Our community reacted quickly, and 24 to 48 hours later, here we are feeling better about who we are and why we are one of the most diverse cities in the state," Christenson told the media. "Residents like ours who are letting us know when they hear or see something like this, that is important to how a city like ours moves forward."