FBI joins hate crime investigation

[Lazie]

Friday, 30 May 2008 The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has joined in the investigation into a hate crime against a Jamaican man and his family in Oregon. The Medford Police has been fielding dozens of calls from persons in the Southern Oregon community where the letters KKK and a cross were found burning on the family's front yard.

Investigators continue to work the case and interview possible suspects.

Until this week, neighbours described the street as a quiet place with many different families of all races.

According to Medford Police, charges of criminal mischief, reckless burning and intimidation will be laid against persons responsible for the incident.

[Lazie]

MEDFORD — Police are searching for young men suspected of scorching a cross and the letters “KKK” on a Medford lawn.
Sol Whyte lives at the house with her husband, Jonathan, who is originally from Jamaica, and their two daughters. She heard the crackle of flames Monday night and ran outside to see the message on her lawn.
Neighbors helped extinguish the flames and chased three people who had been seen in the street and in the yard, Whyte told the Mail Tribune.
The three were described as thin, white men in their late teens or early 20s, wearing jeans and hooded sweat shirts.
Officers found an altered firework on the lawn and summoned the Oregon State Police bomb squad.
Medford Police Lt. Tim Doney said evidence has been sent to the state crime lab, and investigators want the public to call in any tips.
“We take this kind of case very seriously,” he said, noting that racial intimidation that qualifies as a hate crime is relatively rare in Medford.
The last such case was an attack downtown by two brothers on two black teenagers a year ago.
Sol Whyte suspects that people must have targeted them after seeing Jonathan and the two girls, ages 4 and 2, working and playing in the yard. They moved there in January.

Copyright © 2007 — The Register-Guard, Eugene, Oregon, USA

[Hortical]

Him fi go out and get a rifle. In many states yuh nuh need a license for a rifle, only a hunting permit is needed.

[Gamma]

him is jamaican dem seh? he-hey!!!!

[Tilla]

Him fi go out and get a rifle. In many states yuh nuh need a license for a rifle, only a hunting permit is needed.

He does not even need a hunting permit to own a rifle. He needs a hunting permit if he is going hunting with the rifle.

[Hortical]

Is what yuh a chat bout? He should get a permit to go hunting for Klansmen.

In CT, no state permit is required for the purchase of rifles or shotguns,
but there is a two week waiting period.

[Tilla]

OK, I stand corrected. You were thinking he shuld go hunting, then he would need his permit.

Missouri had a one week waiting period on hand guns, but they cut it out around August last year. For rifles you can go into a store and buy and a permit or waiting period is not needed. The handgun background check is done by the national system (cant 'member the name now) so they thought it was a duplication of efforts to do a state check too.