BOISE -- Three men are facing felony charges after police say they targeted boys in a racially-based attack.
The incident happened Sunday evening near North Liberty and Butte streets in Boise.
Christopher Daniel, 29, 27-year-old Thomas Caldwell and 48-year-old Verdell Daniel were arrested and booked into the Ada County Jail and made their first court appearances Monday afternoon.
According to Ada County prosecutors, the boys - it's unclear how many of them there were, but one of them is black - were walking by a house in the area when Christopher Daniel and Caldwell started threatening the boys and yelling racist remarks. Those remarks, prosecutors said, included the "N-word."
Christopher Daniel and Caldwell also started punching the boys, prosecutors said.
The boys ran away and came back with an adult to get the address, according to prosecutors, and that's when the suspects are accused of making more threats and racist remarks.
Christopher Daniel is then accused of pulling out a knife, chasing the black boy and threatening to cut him.
Also during the second altercation, prosecutors accuse Verdell Daniel of breaking a wooden spoon and threatening the victims - also using racial slurs.
Police said earlier that the three men threatened the group "with the specific intent to intimidate or harass one of the victims because of the victim's race" during the second altercation.
Officers found Christopher and Verdell Daniel at a nearby home. During the investigation, they stopped a vehicle leaving the house and learned the driver was Caldwell, the third suspect. Police say Caldwell's blood alcohol content was measured at .129 and .131, well above Idaho's legal limit of .08.
On Monday in court, the suspects' lawyer said the alleged victims were carrying a shovel handle. He also said the court was only getting the alleged victims' side of the story.
The lawyer also said Verdell Daniel was asleep when the altercation began and came outside to break up the fight. The lawyer said he took a weapon away from the victims and told them to go home.
Christopher Daniel is charged with malicious harassment, aggravated battery and battery. Thomas Caldwell is charged with malicious harassment, battery and DUI, and Verdell Daniel is charged with malicious harassment.
