MUPD investigates vandalism outside of Black Culture Center
Students walk over cotton balls strewn across the sidewalk Friday afternoon in front of the Black Culture Center. The vandalism, which occurred between 1:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Friday morning, is believed by some to be a racially motivated.
The MU Police Department is investigating a case of vandalism outside the Black Culture Center on Friday.
Cotton balls were scattered through the bushes and on the grass in front of the center. MUPD Capt. Brian Weimer said it is believed to have occurred sometime between 1:30 a.m. and 2 a.m. Friday morning. The incident was reported to MUPD around 10 a.m.
A witness told police there were two individuals running from the area around the time the incident occurred. Weimer said the report is classified as vandalism but if it appears to be racially motivated, Weimer said it can fall under the category of a hate crime.
"We need to get some more information before we can do that," Weimer said. "A hate crime is simply an enhancement to a punishment."
The report will be written to the supervisor for approval later today, Weimer said. No arrests have been made at this time.
Comments (9)
3:04 p.m., Feb. 26, 2010
A reader said:
The line about whether or not it was racially motivated was attributed to officer Weimer of the MUPD, not the writer of the article. Of course this seems to be obviously racially motivated. Don't blame the writer for reporting what the police are saying.
9:12 a.m., Feb. 27, 2010
Katrina said:
This is really sad and disgusting, but honestly, it does not surprise me. Racist are everywhere in this country and Boone County and the Mizzou campus are not immune. As a African-American Mizzou Alum, I experienced racism first hand, both on campus AND in the streets of Columbia, being called a "n***er" and a "black b****" TO MY FACE. Now, it's up to the University to truly address this for what it was - a hate crime by some narrow-minded individuals - and do something about it if/when these people are caught.
2:59 p.m., March 3, 2010
cranky said:
People of color are killing people in Columbia (and all over the rest of the world), but the African-American community at MU has decided to channel it's energy into bringing a pair of litterers to justice. Keep those priorities straight.
3 p.m., March 3, 2010
David said:
People of color are killing people in Columbia (and all over the rest of the world), but the African-American community at MU has decided to channel it's energy into bringing a pair of litterers to justice. Keep those priorities straight.
8:26 p.m., March 7, 2010
BlueEyedDevil said:
I'd call it more of a prank than a "crime". What's sad and disgusting is that most blacks have no sense of humor. And what ever happened to equal justice under the law? What if this had been a couple of blacks just wanting to create an excuse for mandatory "diversity" courses? Do you think there'd be talk about prosecution? I seriously doubt it. It seems like what we need right now is a White Civil Rights movement and a White History month! Of the 4743 lynchings blacks like to point to during the "black holocaust" from the late 1800's to the mid 1900's, over a thousand were whites, and in California only 2 lynchings out of 43 were blacks. And in a mere three year period in the early 1990's there were 15,000 black on white rapes compared to 900 white on black. Adjusted for percentage of the population that's over a thousand times as many blacks raping whites than the other way around! So I'd say the score has been more than evened at this point. The lynchings of course were for the precise purpose of avoiding the kind of rape holocaust that has now been unleashed against white women.
2:44 p.m., Feb. 26, 2010
ASIM said:
WHAT DO YOU MEAN "IF IT APPEARS TO BE RACIALLY MOTIVATED"!? HOW MUCH MORE RACIST CAN ONE GET? COTTON BALLS OUTSIDE OF THE BLACK CULTURE CENTER! Really maneater...REALLY?