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NEWS
A Holiday Week Marred by Hate in Humboldt
Law enforcement investigating separate incidents targeting Jewish, trans and Black people By Thadeus Greenson and Kimberly Wear newsroom@northcoastjournal.com
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NORTH COAST JOURNAL • Thursday, July 14, 2022 • northcoastjournal.com
ndependence week in Humboldt County saw a series of hateful, bigoted events, spawning multiple criminal investigations from Fortuna to Arcata and the county’s unincorporated areas. The incidents include the assault of a Black man by multiple white men on Eureka’s waterfront after he reported being called a racial slur, the widespread distribution of anti-Semitic flyers and a trans man reporting he was targeted, harassed and threatened in Fortuna, which are being investigated by multiple law enforcement agencies. The incidents occurred a week after state Attorney General Rob Bonta released the 2021 Hate Crime in California Report, which showed a 33-percent increase in bias events over last year — reaching levels not seen since the aftermath of 2001 terrorist attacks — with Bonta describing the numbers as showing the “epidemic of hate we saw spurred on during the pandemic remains a clear and present threat.” “As our state’s top law enforcement officer, I will continue to use the full authority of my office to fight back,” he stated in a news release. “We will keep working with our local law enforcement partners and community organizations to make sure every Californian feels seen, heard and protected. While there is no single solution, it’s up to all of us to heed the call, because when our communities feel empowered, they come forward. Now, more than ever, it is critical that we stand united — there is no place for hate in California.” Here’s a look at this week’s incidents:
Fortuna’s Hate Crime Investigation The Fortuna Police Department is investigating allegations of a hate crime after a trans man reported being harassed
and threatened at the Dollar General last week. According to Lt. Matt Eberhardt, the man came into the police department around noon on July 7 and reported that the evening prior, around 7 p.m., he had been waiting in line at the store when the male customer immediately in front of him asked, “Are you trans?” Eberhardt said the man at first thought the question was a sign of someone being friendly and curious, wanting to ask questions. According to Eberhardt, they responded, “Yeah, I am. What are you?” “Then, right off the bat, it was aggression from the other person,” Eberhardt said. “Just things like, ‘I’m a real man,’ ‘People like you shouldn’t be allowed in the store,’ threatening to kick the persons’ ass. Just a lot of aggression.” Eberhardt said the trans man said he calmly asked the other customer to just pay and move on, wanting the interaction to end, but the male customer kept at him, calling him a “fucking faggot” and threatening them, saying as he was yelling, he was “constantly repeating that he was going to beat them up.” After the man left the store, the victim asked the clerk if he could stay in the store awhile, afraid the other customer might be waiting outside. After a few minutes, he left for his car, which was parked directly in front. He was able to get inside the car and lock the doors before he saw the other man across the parking lot, at which point the man started yelling again and ran toward the victim’s car, before he drove away. “An officer took a hate crime case and it’s still under investigation,” Eberhardt said. “We’re hoping we can identify who the person is and forward a case on to the district attorney’s office, because this is unacceptable.” After watching body camera footage of an officer’s interview with the victim, Eberhardt said it was clear to him the man
