Another disturbing case just came out of Portland, Ore. A black man who openly admitted to stabbing a white man walked out of court a free man because jurors heard that the victim said the N-word after the attack.
Gary Edwards, 43, even admitted to stabbing Gregory Howard Jr., also 43, back in July. Edwards insisted that he acted in self-defense and blamed Howard Jr.’s racial slurs for escalating the encounter. The evidence against Edwards was substantial, but even so, Edwards never denied the stabbing. Despite the evidence, jurors still handed him a full acquittal on the second-degree assault charge.
Video from transit cameras showed Edwards approach Howard, who was sitting on a bench, from behind with a fixed-blade knife in his hand.
As soon as Howard sees Edwards, he jumps up and starts pushing him, and the pair briefly scuffle against a wall before Edwards suddenly stabs Howard in the shoulder.
There is no audio on the video, but Edwards’ defense attorney, Daniel Small, told the jury his client was approaching Howard to see if he would trade his knife for cigarettes.
Police body camera footage captured Howard calling Edwards the N-word in the aftermath of the attack, after cops rushed over to intervene.
Howard claimed he only used the racial slur after being stabbed, but Edwards testified that the victim called him the word the moment he saw him.
“What other than racism could explain why Mr Howard perceived hatred, animosity and aggression from a complete stranger?” Small told the jury.
Why should it matter what Howard said or when? Does saying a racial slur justify being stabbed? Perhaps to the woke left, it does, because it thinks words are violence. Look, we expect defense lawyers to develop a defense strategy for their clients, no matter how far-fetched. The real problem here is that the Portland jury bought that excuse, and every single juror agreed.
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“The defendant is not scared for his life. He didn’t retreat, he sauntered up — and he sauntered away after he stabbed someone. The defendant created the situation,” Katherine Williams, the prosecutor, told the jury. Unfortunately, they didn’t see it that way.
According to the report, Edwards has previous convictions for attempted second-degree assault in 2021, and he also served three years for a separate stabbing at a Portland light rail station in May 2020.
Edwards also faced a fourth-degree assault charge after a fight with a store clerk, but the court dismissed that case in June because there weren’t enough public defenders available. Here we have a repeat offender with a history of not facing accountability for his crimes. Congratulations, Portland, you acquitted a violent man whose record makes it quite clear he will commit violence again.
The Portland jury’s verdict could have far-reaching consequences. Consider what it signals: The jury effectively decided that violence can be justified in response to verbal racism. For residents, the message is: Commit a violent act, and you may get to walk free simply by claiming racism as your motive.
Good luck with that, Portland.
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