WhatFinger


In other words, another hoax

Police: That 'white power' graffiti all over town wasn't what it first appeared to be



The last time I brought you police news from my city, I was under suspicion for bank robbery. I didn't do it. (I didn't!) This time we were told on Monday morning that some white supremacist nazi had spray-painted "white power" and swastikas all over Royal Oak, and pretty close to my neighborhood too. I suspected as soon as this story came out that it was another hate-crime hoax. Was it? Well, here's what the Royal Oak Police Department reported back to the community after a mere day of investigating:
The Royal Oak Police Department has identified the individual responsible for the racist graffiti discovered on several Royal Oak homes on Sunday morning. During the course of this investigation, it became obvious to investigators the individual in question was in need of immediate help for what seems to be serious mental health issues. The Royal Oak Police Department arranged to have this person evaluated by mental health professionals, and we are currently working with state agencies to get this individual in a long-term treatment center. Although this case is shocking and disturbing to our community, based on the totality of the circumstances and the facts the investigators were able to determine, the police department will not be pursuing charges at this time. This crime appears to be a cry for help from a very troubled individual. Crimes of this nature are extremely rare in Royal Oak and are not a reflection of our community. Make no mistake, the Royal Oak Police Department will aggressively investigate any instance of individuals threatening or intimidating our residents or guests. In this case, however, the motivation of the individual responsible was not what might seem obvious by the hateful message.
Now the police did not come right out and say, "This was a hoax perpetrated by liberal social justice warriors." So let's deal with what they did tell us.

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First of all, they identified the perp inside of a day. Now if you know anything about crime investigations, who is the most likely person to be fingered as the perp in a crime like this, especially after so little investigating? Anyone care to guess? "Mr. Calabrese, I have a guess." Yes? "The person who reported it?" Bingo. Again, the police didn't say that. I'm extrapolating it from what they've said, so I can't say for sure this is the case. But it sure sounds like it to me. What we do know is that it isn't what we were first led to believe it was. It wasn't a white supremacist nazi painting people's fences and garages, because the police made that clear in the final sentence of their statement. So let's think about this: If you paint WHITE POWER and swastikas on people's property, but you're not actually a nazi or a white supremacist, then what exactly is your motivation? I get that they're calling the person mentally ill, but even a mentally ill person has some reason - however twisted - for doing the things he does. If it's not because he actually believes in white power or swastikas, it has to be to create the impression that there's someone out there who does.

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Just so you know, Royal Oak is a moderately liberal city where Democrats usually win the citywide elections. I grew up here, I live here now and I know it very well. I'm not saying there are no white supremacists living here because there's no way I could be sure about that. But I will say that in Royal Oak, you're much more likely to meet an SJW - the type who might pull a hoax like this - than you are an actual nazi. So do we know for sure what this was? No we don't. But we know for sure what it wasn't. It wasn't a real hate crime. And that really doesn't leave many other options besides hoax, does it? The police are being careful not to call it that for whatever reason, but it doesn't take much of a brain to put this one together. UPDATE: Police say the perp was an Asian-American man in his 20s, with mental health issues. From a Detroit News story by my friend George Hunter:
A man who painted swastikas and “White Power” on cars, homes and fences in Royal Oak earlier this week is an Asian American resident with mental health issues, police said Wednesday.


The graffiti, which was discovered Sunday morning in several locations near Woodward between 11 Mile and Catalpa, was painted by a man in his early 20s, according to Royal Oak police Chief Corrigan O’Donohue. O’Donohue said the man has “mental health issues,” and that police would not pursue criminal charges against him. “He’s obviously confused,” O’Donohue said. “The decision to handle it the way we’re handling it is because it’s more appropriate to get him mental health help than pursue charges.” O’Donohue said the man, who lives with his parents, has a criminal record. “It’s mostly drug crimes and some minor theft,” he said. “He has a drug problem and needs help. His parents want him to get help, and this is a way to make sure he gets it. “We don’t think this was a hoax,” O’Donohue said. “We don’t think in this individual’s mind it was a hate crime, even though most people would assume it to be, including me when I first saw it.”

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Dan Calabrese -- Bio and Archives

Dan Calabrese’s column is distributed by HermanCain.com, which can be found at HermanCain

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