Lincoln police investigating physical assault involving racist slur after video surfaces

Lincoln Police Department is investigating an incident recorded on video earlier this month where at least one person can be heard yelling a racist slur at a Black high school student during an altercation.

Existing issues between two high school-aged girls from a Lincoln-area high school boiled over June 17 at a parking lot near Aviation Boulevard, according to two individuals who were present during the incident. The Sacramento Bee is not identifying their names because they are both juveniles.

One group of teenagers in cars blocked off another group of teenagers from exiting the parking lot, according to the two individuals, preventing them from leaving. In a widely circulating video on social media, a Jeep can be see blocked off from behind by at least one car.

“Is this Black b---- honking?” a woman can be heard saying behind the camera, before shouting “shut up” and the N-word. At least one other person can be heard laughing in response.

In another video circulating online that was taken later that Wednesday, two teenagers can be seen physically fighting on the ground next to a car.

“I assure you that we take incidents of this nature very seriously,” Chief Doug Lee posted on the police department’s Facebook page Monday. “The incident depicted in the videos that are circulating was reported to us on (June 18), further investigation was immediately initiated, and it continues today.”

There was only one Black person involved during the night’s altercation between the two groups, a Black high school student said. She told The Bee that she tried to break up the fight when a man shoved her, told her to shut up and used the N-word. He then added, “I will put a bullet in you and shoot you in the throat.” She said that he is in the same group as the woman who shouted the N-word on video.

Video of the threat has not surfaced online, but another individual present during the fight confirmed she also heard the man’s threat and his use of the slur.

The Black high school student said she managed to leave the parking lot soon after that. She said she reported the incident to police the next day.

“I’d been hearing about the things around the world, but to have it happen in my face, with no remorse, no emotion, I was really scared,” she said. “I could not stay there because that sort of thing was shocking and scary.”

The incident comes as the Sacramento region and the nation is embroiled in a reckoning over systemic racism and police brutality. Thousands have protested through the city and suburbs of Sacramento in the days following the killing of George Floyd, who died after a Minneapolis police officer placed his knee on his neck for nearly nine minutes.

The Lincoln Police Department has not yet publicly identified any suspects, and “because of juvenile status of participants ... those names may not be released,” said spokeswoman Jill Thompson.

“Officers are assigned and investigating,” Thompson said. “We have lots of video lots of parents who have called to tell us their sides, there’s a lot of people to talk to.”

Some on social media commented that local law enforcement were not investigating the incident because one of the involved parties was related to a Lincoln Police Department employee. Lee refuted that, saying, “we have no knowledge that any of the suspects or victims are related to, or even acquaintances of, any of our employees.”

“The safety of the youth in our community is a top priority, both on and off school campuses,” Lee, Lincoln’s chief, wrote.

This story was originally published June 26, 2020 at 5:00 AM.