KGWN TV

Witnesses to an assault last Saturday here in Ft. Collins are saying one of two white men yelled a racial slur before leaving their victim, and that triggered the Anti-Defamation League to react.

According to Ft. Collins police a 50 year old black male was physically and verbally harassed and assaulted after leaving this 7-Eleven in the 500 block of S. Shields St. Two white men described to be between 18 and 25 then ran him off the road in the 1300 block of Baystone Dr. while riding his bicycle, according to the victim’s statement to police, before getting out of their car and beating him.

“These kinds of incidents raise our concern that a different message is being sent, and so we spoke out in order to number one, support the police department in their effort to investigate this as a hate crime. And number two to urge and support Colorado citizens throughout Ft. Collins area to speak out and say not in our town.” says Bruce DeBoskey, Regional Director of the Mountain States Anti-Defamation League in Denver.

The victim has not been identified and was released from Poudre Valley Hospital but was then taken to the Larimer County Detention Center for an outstanding warrant for trespassing at another 7-Eleven. Mr. Debosky says they suspect this is a hate crime and want Ft. Collins police to pursue it as one.

“All people should be safe and all people should be included. These kinds of incidents raise our concern.” says DeBoskey.

There are still no suspects in this attack and no new developments according to police. Newschannel 5 phone calls to the Ft. Collins police investigator in this case were not returned.

Mr. Debosky says that Colorado is in the top ten for states involving hate crimes. The FBI says five incidents in Ft. Collins were classified as hate crimes in 2006, but reports that many more are not.

Anyone with information regarding this crime is asked to call Ft. Collins police or Crime Stoppers of Larimer County.