▁ 1 9 8 2 ▁Pont iac ▁autom obile ▁that ▁was ▁for ▁sale . ▁The ▁group ' s ▁attack ers ▁had ▁been ▁lying ▁in ▁wait ▁for ▁black ▁youth s ▁they ▁believed ▁had ▁dated ▁a ▁neighborhood ▁girl . ▁Haw kins ▁and ▁his ▁friends ▁walked ▁onto ▁the ▁amb ush ers ' ▁block ▁una ware ▁that ▁local ▁residents ▁were ▁prepar ing ▁rac ist ▁attacks ▁against ▁black ▁youth . ▁After ▁the ▁murder ▁of ▁Haw kins , ▁police ▁said ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁not ▁in ▁any ▁way ▁been ▁involved ▁with ▁the ▁neighborhood ▁girl ▁whom ▁the ▁kill ers ▁believed ▁Haw kins ▁was ▁d ating . ▁ ▁Haw kins ' ▁death ▁was ▁the ▁third ▁killing ▁of ▁a ▁black ▁man ▁by ▁white ▁mob s ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ; ▁the ▁other ▁two ▁vict ims ▁were ▁Will ie ▁Tur ks , ▁who ▁was ▁killed ▁on ▁June ▁ 2 2 , ▁ 1 9 8 2 , ▁in ▁Brook lyn , ▁and ▁Michael ▁Griff ith , ▁who ▁was ▁killed ▁in ▁Queens ▁on ▁December ▁ 2 0 , ▁ 1 9 8 6 . ▁The ▁incident ▁un c ork ed ▁a ▁tor rent ▁of ▁ra cial ▁t ension ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁in ▁the ▁en su ing ▁days ▁and ▁weeks , ▁cul min ating ▁in ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁protest ▁march es ▁through ▁the ▁neighborhood ▁led ▁by ▁the ▁Re ver end ▁Al ▁Sh ar pton . ▁ ▁Tri als ▁The ▁two ▁men ▁who ▁led ▁the ▁mob ▁that ▁beat ▁and ▁ch ased ▁Haw kins ▁were ▁tried ▁separately . ▁Joseph