An African-American man who was applying for a job at a truck stop in eastern Oregon on Saturday was stabbed by a white man in what the Ontario Police Department has ruled as racially motivated.
According to The Oregonian, 48-year-old Ronnell Hughes was stabbed in the neck multiple times while seated at an Arby’s Restaurant by a white truck driver “without provocation.”
The attacker, Nolan Strauss, 26, had to be restrained by employees to prevent the unthinkable from happening. He was subsequently arrested.
“The motive for the attack leans heavily towards a racially motivated crime,” a statement by the police said, adding that nothing showed the victim and attacker knew each other or had interacted prior to the incident.
In a police affidavit obtained by the Malheur Enterprise, Strauss, who claimed he was diagnosed as bipolar in 2016 “but hasn’t been taking medication” said he attacked Hughes “because he was black.”
“The suspect said he chose the victim at random due to the color of his skin” and that “he hates black people,” a filed affidavit in Malheur County Circuit Court also said, adding that Strauss’ “intent was to kill the victim.”
The lead detective on the case for Ontario police, Ben Esplin, added that during the arrest of Hughes at the crime scene, he “made some statements that he did what he did because of the color of the victim’s skin.”
Strauss, who appeared at the Malheur County Circuit Court Monday is facing charges of second-degree attempted murder, first-degree assault, and first-degree bias, and unlawful use of a weapon. His bond is also set at $250,000.
“Your honor this is a hate crime of the highest order, your honor. It’s hard to imagine something more malevolent,” the deputy district attorney said in court, according to KTVB. “And it’s really just through the grace of God and working through and excellent trauma team, rapid police response and the incredible surgery department at the hospital that this is not an aggravated murder case.”
Hughes, who suffered life-threatening injuries after the attack had to undergo surgery. He was also put in an induced coma on Sunday but was eventually ended, the Malheur Enterprise reports.
Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton has said that his little brother was subjected to racial abuse,…
Reggie Bush has regained his place as the 2005 Heisman Trophy winner after over a…
Since 2012, actor Nick Cannon has openly shared his struggle with lupus to support others…
Former USC superstar Caleb Williams has been drafted by the Chicago Bears as the No.…
Stephen A. Smith is an ESPN analyst. People widely regard him as the face of…
Lil Durk is an American rapper and one of the most influential voices in the…
In 2022, Kevin Hart added a new title to his impressive resume: a tequila entrepreneur.…
AEW's latest pay-per-view, Dynasty 2024 on Sunday night saw Swerve Strickland defeat Samoa Joe to…
Renowned civil rights activist Opal Lee, known as the "Grandmother of Juneteenth," will be awarded…
Violet Horne lost her two sons to gun violence within the space of a month.…
An Ohio man said a K-9 bit him seven times after he was pulled over…
Three male foreign tourists who were spotted posing naked in a popular dune in Namibia…
Will.i.am is partnering with other prominent figures to revolutionize the digital media scene by forming…
Sabelle Beraki's childhood was inundated with the lack of representation when it came to a…
Benjamin Harvey is the founder of AI Squared, a third-party software company that helps organizations…